Will you go to family at Christmas?

I know it is a difficult situation and a very difficult decision to make. Every Christmas we get together with our daughters and their families. One daughter lives in the USA. Since the lockdown she has had a baby with whom we still haven't met as we are not allowed entry into the USA nor she here. We haven't seen her for almost a year. Our other daughter lives more than 300 miles away and we have only seen her once. I appreciate the situation many of you are in and sympathise with everyone but I would give anything to have the choice. Please enjoy your families this festive season however you feel safe to doso.

No. Its usually just us with disabled ds - hes the clinaically extremely vulnerable category so doorstep visiting only will continue.

I meant to say "assuming there was no Covid, the Christmas travel arrangements would still be a nightmare"

Same boat carol54- ive 7 children, most with other halves (2 married,2 partnered, 1 single)who dont live with me,only 2 youngest at home.ive 9 GC. So its a minefield.And high risk.Much easier to refuse till vaccines are available?

Me and hubby will be on our own for xmas. We have self isolated for month's due to medical problems so we don't think it's worth the risk

Absolutely not seeing anyone at Christmas. Haven't seen sibling/UK family members since last Christmas. Haven't seen aged Mum - in care home - since Feb. Haven't seen our only child & family (living overseas) since 2018.
Even without Covid, the travel restrictions will be a nightmare. "Christmas travel" appears to be permitted only from 23rd to 27th Dec, so I can guess what the roads are going to be like. Better to stay home in comfort & safety. Let's look forward to next year.....

Haven't seen as much fuss over those people who have had other religious festivals cancelled.

I am undecided - my son and I usually go to my sister's on Christmas Day but we have the added addition to the family of a kitten that is being rehomed from a shelter.
We should have had her from just at the beginning of this current lockdown. So unsure if it is fair to leave her so soon.
Maybe we will just go for lunch.

NO! I realise my other AC will be disappointed and so too may the GC be but i was so very ill last christmas & new year (now see was possibly covid)! that im not taking the risk- im protecting my 2 youngest sons health too- theyre 17&22 still live at home- we all 3 have underlying health issues so NO not going out!??

If what I’m reading in media about 3 families mixing, yes we will all be together on Christmas Day. We have all been abiding by the rules and are happy to take the opportunity to get together as we are all off for the holiday and it’s a chance we don’t get very often.

I won’t be spending time with my family this Christmas we will FaceTime and go for a Christmas walk. I want to spend a lot more Christmases in the years to come not mess it up for one Christmas.

I don’t think it is worth the risk. If we are going to get vaccinated within the next couple of months, I would rather wait and have a relaxed family get together in the Spring. I can FaceTime and zoom the family and half of them live abroad anyway. A different Christmas but we’ll be okay, I’d rather not lay the guilt on everyone if I was to visit and then succumb. Roll on 2021!

No, don't believe it's worth the risk.

6 Degrees of separation comes to mind...

I don't think a few days of contact over Christmas will end well.
Much as we miss our daughter, son and families we will not be getting together under one roof this Christmas.

The government said three households, the virus clapped with joy.
The government said if you’re already in a bubble, that counts as one household so now you can have four households together, the virus leapt about with glee.
The grannies said their guilt wouldn’t allow them to say ‘no’. The virus was beside itself with happiness.
The scientists said there was a vaccine coming soon, the virus wasn’t bothered after all it was going to have the merriest of christmases

I wish they hadn't done this. We have 7 adult children and 16 grandchildren so with partners make 32. Christmas usually lasts a week and now we will have to choose who we see. It's too emotional a decision for me. Much easier to say it's against the rules

No, I don't think so. Hopefully I will get a couple of visits though.

We always have a large family gathering on Chrismas Day every year with our three daughters and their families but in the last few days we have decided that we will remain on our own over Christmas. It will be a big wrench but with a vaccine now well in view this is the time to remain very cautious we feel.

Had the regulations allowed and no vaccination been at hand then we would have most certainly gone, but our thinking is "we have come this far, why now put it all at risk for one or two days"

When everyone is vaccinated we are planning a big get together over a few days by booking the biggest and best cottage in Cornwall for a "right knees up" to celebrate the end of it all. ?

The max three households suits us perfectly.
We can combine three householdsurs, DS2 (with whom we mix already via childcare) and my elderly mum.
No mixing with other son, DiL and dgc, but there was never any question of that no matter what the rules said, as they would remain too big an infection risk to the rest of us. We are not going to take any risks!

I feel just like Mapleleaf. I very much want to have our usual family time at Christmas, but I have such misgivings. Several members of the immediate family are particularly vulnerable, and having come so far, kept to the rules and all stayed safe. I have a horror of one of us dying when we have such hopes for the vaccine and normal life next year. My GC are at school, two of my children are regularly visiting their workplaces, and the risk of transmission seems higher than it was. To then have a get together in heated house is beginning to feel like madness.

Just look at the infection rates in Canada after the had their Thanksgiving in 12 October. Why don't we learn??

Sarnia, I don't think that voicing your opinion will make you sound like Scrooge, sounds sensible to me. You are entitled to a point of view, reading the responses here I think that you are in the majority. Our covid rates have always been low, until recently, when they just shot up.

No - we would have to travel 400miles to socialise with family that attend school, university and use public transport. Risk is too great in my opinion. There will be a huge spike in Covid in Jan/Feb.

We’ll try to see our ‘bubble-son’ as otherwise he’ll see no other adults. The final decision will be made closer to the time, possibly not until Christmas Eve. With luck a walk with other family. It seems to me everyone has to do their own risk assessment and what is best for them. Can’t generalise this one.

I think the other consideration is what the COVID rate in your area is. We live in an area where the COVID rate has always been low. The probability of meeting the virus is very low indeed and there have been no deaths in the area from the virus since July

If we, or our children lived in a higher tier level then things would be different. if we lived in a top tier area the shutters would be down and locked.