Let’s do Christmas differently this year ...

I am fed up with all the newscasters going on about Christmas and pressing government ministers to commit when it is over a month away, no one has a crystal ball and would be a fool to give any guarantees knowing it could easily backfire on them if they did.

For the first time ever we have decided not to be with our children and grandchildren at Christmas. My husband and I are going to choose non traditional food (again for the first time ever) and have a lovely relaxing time. We will contact them via Alexa Echo at prearranged times over the festive season. I’m quite looking forward to it now!

Spoke to DS this morning - although they're 5 hours away and we don't see them often they, like us, are happy to stay at home but to be in contact via the internet. Looking forward to a nice quiet and relaxed festive season. Hopefully next year will be more sociable.

We're busy trying to find inventive ways of doing Christmas at church (or not actually at church as the case may be). I think some of the ideas we're coming up with will not only be safe for this year but worth continuing in the future

Yes all this fuss for basically one day and then you find they are all in shops on Boxing Day for the Sales !!!

Don’t think that is the true sprit of Christmas .

A lot of shops are not opening on Boxing Day as a thank you to their staff.

My daughter has offered to pick me up and take me back to theirs. About 200 miles away. I have turned down their kind offer, partly because I have an elderly and poorly dog but also because I accept this Christmas cannot be normal. I will be on my own but so what, it is what it is, I will get some nice food in and a better than normal bottle of wine.
I hope to be around to see them next year under more normal circumstances

We shall stay at home, just the two of us with a beef dinner as our Christmas Dinner. I have to shield and I have no intentions of putting myself at risk to see my children. The only one I will see is my disabled daughter who lives on her own with a fairly lonely life. Mr B will drive over on Christmas Eve with presents and a meal to heat up. We will also collect a coffee on the way. Then we will sit outside while my daughter stands in the doorway for a chat and a drink. Then we drive home.

I honestly believe that Christmas this year should be sacrificed so we have a better year next year. I even believe that Uni students should stay where they are other wise its another long lockdown in January

We will hopefully be sharing Christmas day with one daughter, her husband, son and a dog. That's it I think. No seeing friends, no Christmas shopping trips, one Sunday lunch for two booked at a hotel with excellent Covid procedures then back to an expected lockdown in January.
Hoping for the vaccine in the New Year. DH is considered vulnerable so all he wants is a good long walk everyday.

And so they should Pittcity ??

I have heard that for one day of relaxed rules, where people can meet up with several others, we will need five days of stringent rules to compensate. Is it really worth it when people will become ill just for a few days socialising?

I have been shielding since March. I have decided not to go to my daughters ... she is in contact with a lot of people with her job. I will miss spending Christmas with my grandson , but I really feel for one year it will be fine. Hopefully next year things will be much better

I have disappointed my daughter by not planning a Christmas visit this year. Its 300 miles away. I have seen her and my grandchildren only twice earlier in the year. I know she mixes in group events and has various friends to visit occasionally, so there is no way I'm going to take the risk after spending 9 months being careful. I can wait as long as it takes. Mr Jolly and I will enjoy a quiet relaxed day. Good food, good wine, a good walk and some corny TV and of course family video chats.

We will ignore it completely perhaps sort out the filing cabinets or some other mundane task . Our meal will be an Indian curry.

We will be spending the day at home, perhaps with a walk after lunch. We eat our main meal in the evening and then watch a film. We have done this every year for the past 30 years or so, the difference this year is no pre-Christmas family party or Boxing Day visits. All being well we will have our family party as a summer picnic in 2021.

We are all celebrating away from each other this year.

We shall be able to meet up in 2021, we hope.

Masquereader I couldn’t agree more. My turkey arrived today so I am ready for a quiet day with just dh and me.

I know I am not unique in this and there are many on GN who are similarly alone, bereaved or whose families live too far away to see them at Christmas.
However it is like a tiny dart in my side each time I read “We are spending Christmas on our own” or “my “D/S will be dropping in “ or even “I am meeting up with my DGC for a walk/hot chocolate/Christmas picnic” or whatever.
I would settle for any of those but there is no “we” and a minimum of 1 1/2 hours drive puts paid to any outdoor meeting up.

Maw
I wish that I lived near by you

I am starting to feel under pressure from family regarding Christmas. I dont want to go anywhere or meet up at anyone's house really. I would be fine with a walk if the weather is ok but feel like i have to as family are making a big effort for two seperate meet ups so we are keeping within the rule of six but it is still going to be inside!!!!

travelsafar just tell them!
There is so much in the media now questioning the wisdom of all of this mixing - I'd be surprised if your family don't understand.
Just tell them that you would be happier alone.
It is such a shame that this is causing so many people so much worry.

Mawbe, I fee similarly about all the references to “we”. If there’s more than one of you, you are not spending Christmas on your own. That’s obvious.

My family is too far away (five hour drive minimum) for any meeting this year except on Zoom. Normally I wouldn’t really mind, but just today I feel miserable about everything. Lack of sleep, I think. I expect I’ll get over it.

Maw, I feel for you but although there are two of us I might as well be on my own so far as companionship goes. DH’s Parkinson’s is taking him away and I miss him.

Otherwise I agree that we should sacrifice this Christmas in order that most of us will be here for next year. I don’t understand why that is so hard to appreciate.