Christmas during Covid times

witchgirl26 · 12-10-2020 11:43am

I think ours will be fairly normal as it's our "at home" year (as opposed to being over in my mams). My mam will come to us this year so that will be nice. Biggest change is that we normally do a big Christmas Eve lunch out somewhere with both friends & family but that won't be happening. It was starting to cause some stress though so might not be a bad thing.

My work have started to think about ideas & are actively asking employees for ideas for something virtual for the Christmas season. Suggestions have been a JustEat voucher, table quiz, bottle of wine & chocolates to everyone.

I think the main thing will be getting the presents sorted earlier than normal. My sister has all of her shopping pretty much done so that if we do end up in another lockdown, she knows she has them there for the kids. It's just adapting.

SusanC10 · 12-10-2020 11:43am

woodchuck wrote: »

Are any workplaces getting creative with virtual Christmas events? Not a peep from my place yet about anything festive planned to boost moral...

My Husband's place are trying to organise a virtual party. Not sure what it will involve. They are all WFH since March.

JuanBerrosa · 12-10-2020 11:51am

Hiding under the bed for Christmas 2021 - Christmas 2035 .... We all should be doing this , remember NPHET knows best !!!!

Sam Hain · 12-10-2020 11:56am

SusanC10 wrote: »

My Husband's place are trying to organise a virtual party. Not sure what it will involve. They are all WFH since March.

Cringemas.

screamer · 12-10-2020 12:05pm

Gael23 wrote: »

There will be uproar of people can’t visit loved ones in hospital or nursing homes on Christmas meaning

Yeh there’ll be worse uproar if nursing homes get covid19 ripping through them again a couple of weeks after Christmas. It’s the festive season for us, and the infestive season for Covid.

12-10-2020 12:07pm

Sam Hain wrote: »

Cringemas.

Why? Sounds like a bit of craic - few beers and a bit of craic with colleagues/friends.

I will miss the Christmas party big time, was always a serious session and I’ve always looked forward to it massively.

12-10-2020 12:09pm

My mum’s been driving us insane since spring as she hasn’t been going anywhere. She has a better social life than me usually what with bingo and at this time of year, 25 card games in the local pubs and community centres. We’ve been playing zoom bingo but I had a mad thought for playing 25 over the Christmas period.

Buy 30 packs of playing cards.
Buy a ridiculous amount of envelopes.
Deal as many hands as possible from a pack of cards and put each hand into a separate envelope and the Trump card into another envelope.
Mark these envelopes as PACK 1 & PACK 1 Trump.
Repeat above for all of the packs.
Post envelopes (Pack 1 through to Pack 30) to family and friends that play and are internet savvy.
Arrange a zoom call over Christmas period
Players open the same titled envelope and I open the Trump card.
Play as normal with everyone adjusting their cameras so the cards on the table can be seen.

What do ya think?

screamer · 12-10-2020 12:19pm

Kaylee Creamy Thermos wrote: »

Why? Sounds like a bit of craic - few beers and a bit of craic with colleagues/friends.

I will miss the Christmas party big time, was always a serious session and I’ve always looked forward to it massively.

I couldn’t imagine anything worse TBH. Work colleagues are just that to me, nothing more and the hell I want to waste an evening on zoom tolerating them.
It’d be nice for companies to offer a voucher or some token of goodwill this year but I don’t see it happening. A lot of them are struggling, the ones that aren’t are battening down the hatches for what’s to come, it’s just the way it is.

12-10-2020 12:22pm

screamer wrote: »

I couldn’t imagine anything worse TBH. Work colleagues are just that to me, nothing more and the hell I want to waste an evening on zoom tolerating them.
It’d be nice for companies to offer a voucher or some token of goodwill this year but I don’t see it happening. A lot of them are struggling, the ones that aren’t are battening down the hatches for what’s to come, it’s just the way it is.

Fair enough I’d have made some of my best friends though work so have a very different outlook. In fact aside from my original group of friends since school (who I’m very close with still) pretty much all my other friends have been made through work, even met my wife as she was friends of a work friend etc.

Graces7 · 12-10-2020 12:23pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Book your seats for those services now, they'll go fast.

Also don't expect to sing any carols: it will be a small, masked,, socially distanced choir at best.

Your words remind me of the carol.. " How silently. how silently, The wondrous gift is given."

eviltwin · 12-10-2020 12:44pm

I'll be working Christmas Day itself which will be strange. Usually there are a few of us on duty and we have an absolute blast but I will be working solo, there will be no fun and games so it will be quite subdued.

Really don't know what else we can do to make the season festive apart from family only things. We'll make a big production of putting up the decorations etc but I don't feel any connection to Christmas this year. It's been a tough year and I think Christmas is just going to amplify that. But we'll make the best of it.

freshpopcorn · 12-10-2020 12:47pm

RTÉ are going to go all about and be as miserable as possible for the festive season this year!

Gods Gift · 12-10-2020 12:49pm

SusanC10 wrote: »

My Husband's place are trying to organise a virtual party. Not sure what it will involve. They are all WFH since March.

Great I could email my photocopied arse this year.

bladespin · 12-10-2020 12:50pm

freshpopcorn wrote: »

RTÉ are going to go all about and be as miserable as possible for the festive season this year!

No great change then

Ah no, the pressure will definitely be on them to perform, all the talk of licence fees etc, now's the time for them to stand up, were pretty good during the lockdown tbh.

munchkin_utd · 12-10-2020 1:27pm

So.... the third wave will be starting in early january so ????

mohawk · 12-10-2020 1:42pm

Grandparents are in their 80’s and their school age grandchildren are in school until the 23rd. It’s going to be a ****ty year for them as no one will want to visit.
Best part of Christmas was everyone making time to catch up over dinner and drinks. Popping into see family because your off work and no kids activities so you actually have time to give to people.

People give out about the commercialisation of it and I agree but it’s only commercial if you make it that way.

bladespin · 12-10-2020 2:14pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

So.... the third wave will be starting in early january so ????

Schools and workplaces all back after a holiday, yes that would be an ideal time.

bigpink · 12-10-2020 3:29pm

jrosen wrote: »

Yeah, a lot of restaurants using open table and other such platform for bookings. Who know if it will go ahead but atleast it’s booked. We’ve been going for dinner for years on Xmas eve and its just lovely.

Never heard of Xmas Eve dinner in a restaurant must be a new Celtic tiger thing.Must people want to be a home not working or relaxing

12-10-2020 3:32pm

bigpink wrote: »

Never heard of Xmas Eve dinner in a restaurant must be a new Celtic tiger thing.Must people want to be a home not working or relaxing

Christmas eve dinner I have not done very often but Christmas eve pints are massive, one of the busiest afternoon/evenings in any pub.

bladespin · 12-10-2020 3:36pm

bigpink wrote: »

Never heard of Xmas Eve dinner in a restaurant must be a new Celtic tiger thing.Must people want to be a home not working or relaxing

Definately not a new thing, one of the 'nice' (read expensive lol) local restaurants run Santa visits on the run in, basically book a family dinner and the kids get a special meet and greet with the big man, it's fantastic, if it goes ahead (they have plans in place so hopefully) it's probably going to be our last one.

We've always looked at it like an easy dinner the day before all the work.

freshpopcorn · 12-10-2020 3:39pm

bigpink wrote: »

Never heard of Xmas Eve dinner in a restaurant must be a new Celtic tiger thing.Must people want to be a home not working or relaxing

Some people met up for more of a lunch on Christmas Eve when they are doing bits and pieces.
A family Chinese is another popular one.

witchgirl26 · 12-10-2020 3:39pm

bladespin wrote: »

We've always looked at it like an easy dinner the day before all the work.

That's exactly how we've always looked at the lunch we do. It means you don't have to think about things on Christmas eve & it gets you out of the house when you could just end up stressing yourself sorting out the next day. Will miss it this year!

JDD · 12-10-2020 3:53pm

I don't know what we're going to do really. We used to go to my parents for christmas dinner, and my brothers would come too. For the last couple of years we've had the dinner in our house. My husband and brothers don't exactly see eye to eye at the best of times so it's not exactly an idyllic Christmas Day. And my brothers normally bring their (very placid) dog, who my middle child is terrified of (she hates all dogs) so I spend my time calming her down.

I'd really like to see what Christmas Day would be like, just the five of us. But I don't want to leave my parents alone on Christmas Day either. I know my mum would probably cook Christmas dinner for my brothers, even though that would be slightly breaking the rules. And maybe we could call in the day after. But we'd be totally breaking the rules, with all five of us in my parents house. If the point of not having lunch at ours on Christmas Day is to protect my elderly parents from infection, we're hardly reducing their chances by visiting them a day apart.

Ho hum. We'll probably have Christmas Day on our own, and I'll like that. It'll just be the visiting around it that we'll have to manage.

Happydays2020 · 12-10-2020 4:12pm

JDD wrote: »

I don't know what we're going to do really. We used to go to my parents for christmas dinner, and my brothers would come too. For the last couple of years we've had the dinner in our house. My husband and brothers don't exactly see eye to eye at the best of times so it's not exactly an idyllic Christmas Day. And my brothers normally bring their (very placid) dog, who my middle child is terrified of (she hates all dogs) so I spend my time calming her down.

I'd really like to see what Christmas Day would be like, just the five of us. But I don't want to leave my parents alone on Christmas Day either. I know my mum would probably cook Christmas dinner for my brothers, even though that would be slightly breaking the rules. And maybe we could call in the day after. But we'd be totally breaking the rules, with all five of us in my parents house. If the point of not having lunch at ours on Christmas Day is to protect my elderly parents from infection, we're hardly reducing their chances by visiting them a day apart.

Ho hum. We'll probably have Christmas Day on our own, and I'll like that. It'll just be the visiting around it that we'll have to manage.

Sounds like you have a plan.

You always have the possibility of a meal the weekend before with your parents and do presents then or even New Year’s Eve.

Spreads things out and your parents get to have a few nice days out.

Traditions at Christmas are hard to break but sometimes it just makes sense to change (Covid or not).

jrosen · 12-10-2020 9:53pm

bigpink wrote: »

Never heard of Xmas Eve dinner in a restaurant must be a new Celtic tiger thing.Must people want to be a home not working or relaxing

Really, You've never known anyone to eat out on xmas eve? We have been doing it since before we were married, so maybe going on 15 years. Loved a ramble around town to soak up the atmosphere and have a nice bite to eat. Never changed once the kids came along and its firmly a christmas tradition for us now. You should try it sometime.

mohawk · 12-10-2020 10:14pm

jrosen wrote: »

Really, You've never known anyone to eat out on xmas eve? We have been doing it since before we were married, so maybe going on 15 years. Loved a ramble around town to soak up the atmosphere and have a nice bite to eat. Never changed once the kids came along and its firmly a christmas tradition for us now. You should try it sometime.

Agreed it’s definitely a thing. My grandparents used to dis it for years as a break before all the work of cooking for the family on Christmas Day. This is back in the 90’s.

StupidLikeAFox · 13-10-2020 1:18am

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

My mum’s been driving us insane since spring as she hasn’t been going anywhere. She has a better social life than me usually what with bingo and at this time of year, 25 card games in the local pubs and community centres. We’ve been playing zoom bingo but I had a mad thought for playing 25 over the Christmas period.

Buy 30 packs of playing cards.
Buy a ridiculous amount of envelopes.
Deal as many hands as possible from a pack of cards and put each hand into a separate envelope and the Trump card into another envelope.
Mark these envelopes as PACK 1 & PACK 1 Trump.
Repeat above for all of the packs.
Post envelopes (Pack 1 through to Pack 30) to family and friends that play and are internet savvy.
Arrange a zoom call over Christmas period
Players open the same titled envelope and I open the Trump card.
Play as normal with everyone adjusting their cameras so the cards on the table can be seen.

What do ya think?

Have you tried this website? I don't play but a friend was trying to get a game going over lockdown, not sure how it worked out https://irish25s.herokuapp.com/play

Antares35 · 13-10-2020 2:30am

Just finished the Christmas shopping online. We decided one gift each only this year (we usually go a bit ott). Wee one is only a few months so have just ordered a few bits for her, play mat, pull along wooden toy and a musical bear. Will be just the three of us (plus dog) Christmas day. Probably the way I would have wanted it anyway. Never into the big city centre píss up, work parties etc. Always thought the Stephens day sales were a bit sick anyway.

Nice dinner, bottle of red, light the fire, watch a movie when the little one goes down. Happy enough really.

triona1 · 13-10-2020 3:05am

13-10-2020 7:49am

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

Have you tried this website? I don't play but a friend was trying to get a game going over lockdown, not sure how it worked out https://irish25s.herokuapp.com/play

I did. It’s not too bad but my mum couldn’t get the hang of it.

JP Liz V1 · 20-10-2020 2:16am

can it be saved now level 5 lockdown in place for 6 weeks?

Wanderer78 · 20-10-2020 6:20am

SusanC10 wrote:

What is realistic to expect?

Is santie covid compliant, he can fcuk off, if he thinks he's coming down my chimney!

JacksonHeightsOwn · 20-10-2020 7:59am

Well I think it's safe to say I won't be going out to watch the football in Stephens day in the pub, that's for sure.

SusanC10 · 14-11-2020 6:54pm

How is everyone feeling about Christmas now ?

6 weeks on from my OP. And almost 6 weeks to Christmas.

ShineOn7 · 14-11-2020 7:32pm

Every second comment on today's daily thread on Reddit Ireland is "Christmas is fúcked"

I really don't get this country at times

I've worked and lived in a few countries and the only places I've seen such a fascination with Christmas is Ireland and the UK. Why is this?

It's just one year! Just one Christmas we have to sacrifice

Yet people are going on like entitled children expecting a festive period like 2019

The mind fúcking boggles

gigantic09 · 14-11-2020 7:37pm

SusanC10 wrote: »

How is everyone feeling about Christmas now ?

6 weeks on from my OP. And almost 6 weeks to Christmas.

Not feeling as positive as last week, re a normalish Xmas. Our progress has slowed and this miserable weather isn't helping the mood. From a selfish point of view ive being using the possibility of pubs opening as something to look forward to, hopefully next weeks numbers show faster progress.

polesheep · 14-11-2020 7:44pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Every second comment on today's daily thread on Reddit Ireland is "Christmas is fúcked"

I really don't get this country at times

I've worked and lived in a few countries and the only places I've seen such a fascination with Christmas is Ireland and the UK. Why is this?

It's just one year! Just one Christmas we have to sacrifice

Yet people are going on like entitled children expecting a festive period like 2019

The mind fúcking boggles

Perhaps it's best to compare it with the festive periods in the other countries that you have lived in. I think every nation has at least one or two festive events that they are passionate about. Christmas has a certain magic for most Irish people.

PTH2009 · 14-11-2020 7:47pm

Just don't know anymore tbh

i'm getting very sick of all these mixed messages by the Government/Dr Tony/NPHET been sent out. Will they just come out and say 100% what is happening. Me thinks they dont have a ****ing clue themselves

This level 3 plan and then a quick turnover to level 2 is madness. Pubs will be mental if they reopen on the 17th/18th Dec and will be a frustrating experience trying to get in somewhere. Retail should be ok as they can open on the 1st Dec but will still be very busy. Level 3 also helps with family visits

Love to have the option of going for a christmas pint and hopefully they make the right decision. Morale is ****ed in this country

polesheep · 14-11-2020 7:50pm

PTH2009 wrote: »

Just don't know anymore tbh

i'm getting very sick of all these mixed messages by the Government/Dr Tony/NPHET been sent out. Will they just come out and say 100% what is happening. Me thinks they dont have a ****ing clue themselves

This level 3 plan and then a quick turnover to level 2 is madness. Pubs will be mental if they reopen on the 17th/18th Dec and will be a frustrating experience trying to get in somewhere. Retail should be ok as they can open on the 1st Dec but will still be very busy. Level 3 also helps with family visits

Love to have the option of going for a christmas pint and hopefully they make the right decision. Morale is ****ed in this country

The darkest hour is just before the dawn. If the vaccine works for those who are vulnerable, then it'll be over very soon.

gigantic09 · 14-11-2020 7:50pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Every second comment on today's daily thread on Reddit Ireland is "Christmas is fúcked"

I really don't get this country at times

I've worked and lived in a few countries and the only places I've seen such a fascination with Christmas is Ireland and the UK. Why is this?

It's just one year! Just one Christmas we have to sacrifice

Yet people are going on like entitled children expecting a festive period like 2019

The mind fúcking boggles

It's a big holiday here,like thanksgiving is in the US etc. Sure its not big in other countries but so what. People have been using it as something to get them through all the sh1te, something to look forward to. Its the one time of year most people have a few days of work, relatives travail home, people socialise, visit neighbours and friends, kids are excited. Historically all the farming work would be finishing up for the year so people would have time to relax and recharge the batteries. Nowadays religion has taken a backseat but it's still a spiritual time of year, season of good will and all that jazz. It's also a sad time for many unfortunately.

ShineOn7 · 14-11-2020 8:01pm

gigantic09 wrote: »

Its the one time of year relatives travail home, people socialise, visit neighbours and friends

All of that is the opposite of what we should be doing to prevent spread though. Everything you said there is how Covid loves to infect more people

As I said, it's just one fecking year of Christmas we need to write off. Isn't the whole year a write off anyway?

I'm quite worried about our numbers around the 3rd week of January on and it'll be a miracle if we're not at a thousand cases a day again by Feb 1st

All because some people want short term satisfaction instead of growing the fúck up

polesheep · 14-11-2020 8:04pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

All of that is the opposite of what we should be doing to prevent spread though. Everything you said there is how Covid loves to infect more people

As I said, it's just one fecking year of Christmas we need to write off. Isn't the whole year a write off anyway?

I'm quite worried about our numbers around the 3rd week of January on and it'll be a miracle if we're not at a thousand cases a day again by Feb 1st

All because some people want short term satisfaction instead of growing the fúck up

As Scrooge famously said, "You keep Christmas in your way Sir and I'll keep it in mine." Except this time the meaning is reversed.

mirrorwall14 · 14-11-2020 8:14pm

I can handle one household at a time or even restaurants open properly for groups from a maximum of two households. I cannot handle county borders and no household visits again. I live in a different county to almost all of my family and between two lockdowns and LOKdown I’ve seen them less this year than like ever. I don’t need the pubs personally I can live without. I’ll order my Christmas shopping online. I just don’t want to be stuck in my bloody county again

Kermit.de.frog · 14-11-2020 8:24pm

A few mince pies and you'll all be grand.

gigantic09 · 14-11-2020 8:28pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

All of that is the opposite of what we should be doing to prevent spread though. Everything you said there is how Covid loves to infect more people

As I said, it's just one fecking year of Christmas we need to write off. Isn't the whole year a write off anyway?

I'm quite worried about our numbers around the 3rd week of January on and it'll be a miracle if we're not at a thousand cases a day again by Feb 1st

All because some people want short term satisfaction instead of growing the fúck up

I realise that but you asked a general question of why this country is so fascinated by Xmas

funnydoggy · 14-11-2020 8:45pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

A few mince pies and you'll all be grand.

Not until like the 2nd week of December. I've been eating all around me and have gained quite a bit of fluff that I want to get rid of beforehand :pac::pac:

ShineOn7 · 14-11-2020 9:14pm

Mariah Scarce Rite wrote: »

Our strategy of "rolling lockdowns" only drives the want in people (me included) for some short term feeling of normality returning.

This. Is. Not. A. Normal. Year.

It needs to be put on billboards for some people

14-11-2020 10:09pm

ShineOn7 wrote: »

All of that is the opposite of what we should be doing to prevent spread though. Everything you said there is how Covid loves to infect more people

As I said, it's just one fecking year of Christmas we need to write off. Isn't the whole year a write off anyway?

I'm quite worried about our numbers around the 3rd week of January on and it'll be a miracle if we're not at a thousand cases a day again by Feb 1st

All because some people want short term satisfaction instead of growing the fúck up

What does 'growing up' look like to you?
Half a life? Rolling lockdowns? Inevitable restrictions?
Because the virus isn't going anywhere. What is your hope ?

Kermit.de.frog · 15-11-2020 1:26am

Mariah Scarce Rite wrote: »

This is traditionally the time of year people in Ireland do that

We are in the middle of a global pandemic.

Some need to get their priorities straight.

15-11-2020 1:39am

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

We are in the middle of a global pandemic.

Some need to get their priorities straight.

Some need to mind their own business and stop twitching the curtains. Reality is some people are going catch up with family and friends over the Christmas period and knock back a few jars. You know, human-like behaviour. Tony Holohan and the doom squad (those whose salaries and jobs are completely secure) might want to grant some leeway in December or some individuals are going to ignore the restrictions completely.

Christmas during Covid times

Comments