Travelling to family for Christmas?

I can’t believe that people “don’t mind” not seeing their families. These are precious times and we will never get them back. For me the whole thing is a very serious matter. What ever we do at Christmas it will be wrong. I will hate not seeing my family and refuse to put a positive spin on this as so many do. For me there will be no upside. Positively no Zoom ( far too upsetting) and absolutely no plans for get togethers at Easter or in the summer. Just something to be endured for the common good but please don’t expect me to pleased about it.
As for the vaccine I will have it but have no faith in it. It will only delay the spread and will need to be repeated every winter.

The finish line is in sight - the vaccines are in the surgeries and being administered. Is it worth dying for a roast dinner?

I definitely would not go. As sodapop says I really don’t understand the obsession with Christmas. Much nicer to see family and friends during the light nights and better weather. I think the government would have been wiser to have not promised that people could meet up at Christmas and left the decision until much later. We are now in a situation much like the rest of Europe, where infections and deaths are rising. This five day meeting of households is crazy and we will see the results of such folly in January. I haven’t seen my family in Wales since early March but I really don’t mind as long as we all keep safe and well. The vaccine is here and why throw away almost a whole year of being careful just for Christmas.
One last thought, I think the press and social media have to bear some responsibility for all the ‘hype’ around families meeting up at Christmas. Also Keir Starmer really needs to push the Prime Minister on this issue instead of sitting back and abstaining as he usually does.

This is a little off message Mirren, but you have no idea how comforting it is to know that even medical professionals have quandaries. I am CEV so won’t be going anywhere in the near future, but take heart that next Christmas will be better and I’ll (hopefully) be around to enjoy it.

This is so true. we are SO close to the vaccine .... but if there is another spike it could delay the vaccine roll out if the people giving the vaccine get Covid or have to isolate.

It was said on the lunchtime news today that 140,000 people were vaccinated last week, and at this rate it will take many more months than anticipated to work through vaccinating those most at risk. We don't need anything to put a spanner in the works. People have to do the right thing, rather than just doing what they want.

Think I would go after huge conversations with recipients and massive precautions. I'd even take my own toiletting facilities in case I was caught short. At the end of the day, we all know the potential consequences and we make our own adult informed decisions for ourselves. We don't need advice from others. Follow your heart/brain combination. Good luck!

No just no! Husband has stage 4 cancer so this could well be his last Christmas. Family live 400miles away. We’re in tier 3. I really really hope that responsible folk do the right thing for the well being of the population. Be kind people.

Delay PLEASE!!!!!....we are SO close to the vaccine .... but if there is another spike it could delay the vaccine roll out if the people giving the vaccine get Covid or have to isolate. Why cant MOST people wait & celebrate next year.... do they want to kill Granny or put extra pressure on the NHS. It's selfish madness for a couple of days! Remember you can be asymptomatic!

Usually my son and daughter in law entertain their three children and their children at Christmas.. I cannot travel. As my son has had absolutely no one in their home this year each family will visit them separately in the garden over Christmas. We will all have FaceTime and Zoom meetings.
So many younger people are careless or like some like a young man interviewed on TV think the whole thing is a joke.
One of my grandsons lives on the Isle of Wight says people. Are coming from the mainland to drink in the pubs.

My husband was also a GP and he views COVID with great relief.
For the past 2 Christmases someone of the extended family has brought with him/ her an infection which was passed on to 14 of the 18 family members.... the effects still continuing until the end of February and included husband's hospitalisation

I am now writing a pantomime which we will perform over skype with parts adapted for the idiosyncracies of all members worldwide. The greatest problem will be the timing
We will have a great laugh and I shall breathe a sigh of relief that , at over 80 , there will be no additional cooking, washing or cleaning for me .... and yes the whole family does aid with everything when here but we live alone and ankle nipping 2 yo or smouldering 18 yo granddaughters can prove a bit of an assault on the senses, our not having seen them for a year

DD, who is our bubble member and lives alone and works from home is joining us for 2 weeks, which is entirely legal.

DS may make a flying visit, but that is all. He too works from home, but has a family. He will have a COVID test before he comes.

Staying home is the safest bet !
I won't see GC or GGC, just D for a flying visit to pick up all the presents for children and family.
I'd rather remain in the land of the living and see them next year-----sadly, many won't for the sake of a couple of days. Is it worth it ? NO !

Mirren, understandably your are allowing your emotions to over-ride your intellect. Your family 'deep-down' might have some unexpressed anxieties about having a working G.P. visiting with the possibility of bringing goodness knows what sort of infections to their family.
Keep them and yourself safe by staying at home.

So agree Sodapop, just use common sense.

Like many other GNs replying here , I wouldn't go. But (under current guidelines) I appreciate that everyone has to make their own decisions about this. Recently I've been catching up with friends with whom I've not spoken for a while, and I'm hearing about people ("friends of friends" - fit, well, and in their early 70s) who have died of Coronavirus. This news has reinforced our decision about a stay-at-home, "no contact" Christmas.

Why does a GP need us to tell her what to do? If she doesn’t know, how are the rest of us supposed to know?

My family is split over 4 households, none of whom will be coming round with the sole exception of my oldest niece who is also the pharmacy collector for my parents. She finishes work this Thurs & will only come round for a few hours on sun 27th.

I know people have been missing family etc but lets not have to start again if we all start mingling even if trying to maintain distances, etc. Personally I couldn't do the travelling, etc if at the back of my mind was always 'be careful...wash your hands...keep your distance...don't hug...'. Mentally that would take away any of the joy of meeting up with friends & family.

So we'll all be in our own homes, relaxing. And that's going to be the biggest thing that we need at the moment.

I know many will be suffering mentally, and their situation will be totally different, and I cannot blame them for meeting up. But there is a difference between just missing someone, and really suffering mentally.

Whatever your Christmas situation will be I hope you'll all have a happy and relaxing time.

In the words of Jenrick "let Easter be the new xmas" I think this is turning out to be a winter-type virus just like most colds, and the combination of improving weather and vaccine will give us a very different picture by Easter.

My wif and I live in Oxfordshire my son in Having Essex, it's the national hot spot. We will not see him or our granddaughter and great granddaughter who we miss dearly. Having said that we have two grand children relatively close and they have 5 of our great grandchildren between them and we are giving them a miss year too. It is heartbreaking but for all but necessary.

Other people of different religions have had to forsake their celebrations, what makes Christians any different! There are 363 other days in a year when family and friends can get together when it is deemed safe to do so. Celebrate or possibly die - who wants to make that choice?

It’s a really hard decision isn’t it. Your heart says yes but your head says no. We’ve decided not to see family at Christmas - a couple of them live locally so we will meet up for a walk - but def not travelling and spending time in others houses. Breaks my heart when my granddaughter - aged 13 - messages how much she is missing me and all the things we did per Christmas in the past. My grandson - the male version of a drama queen - told his mum that just to see me for an hour would make his Christmas complete!! Hopefully later in the year our dreams will come true. ??????

I wouldn’t go. We had planned to visit family down south, but we have to stay in a hotel and all 5 family members are working so won’t have isolated before we get there. It really upsets me but I’d sooner stay as safe from the virus as possible and also not risk the nightmare of hundreds of miles on the motorway when lots of folk are trying to fit their visits in the time allowed.

Personally I wouldn’t wait for mass vax of the whole country. Once extra guidance is given today, maybe it will help to solve everyone’s dilemmas. We also don’t know if we should be going to family in tier three and will decide next week finally. But we can just about do it in a day. I think sleeping over, is something very different and I feel that’s too much time confined indoors all together at the moment. Only you can decide what you feel comfortable with.

Why? Why now? It really is just tradition to mark the 25th and 31st December as we usually do. Just for this one year - keep yourself and others safe. Not just your relatives but what if you have a car mishap or get ill of something else - lots of scenarios could involve random strangers helping you - unnecessarily. Stay home - phone or Zoom.

Government idiots over the Christmas hooley. No one should listen to them and realise its madness. I'm praying our ministers in N.Ireland will ignore Boris again and let us decide what suits us and the way things are here decide on no gatherings and only your immediate bubble. All my friends that I've spoken to are all on their own this year, no one is having Xmas with large family gatherings, but there will be idiots who will think it's ok and cause mayhem in New Year for our NHS.