I hate to mention Christmas, but?

[Renee Profile]

I think only if it's safe to do that PP and the way it's looking now it won't be.

[herbidacious Profile]

Now it's funny you should say that. My Chirstmas-loving friend thinks that the tighter restrictions now are to enable us to have more relaxed rules at Chirstmas time. (Which makes it sound like she thinks that they are not strictly necessary.) Well I suppose that might be a vote winner. (She thinks they are doing this out of the kindess of their hearts.) Someone shouldsuggest this to Johnson. Might makes things easier for him if he offers a carrot instead of just the stick.

I suppose if we went into lockdown now, then everyone flooding into each homes at Christmas might not be so catastrophic, (her other argument) although we might/would probably return to square one yet again.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

Perhaps we'll get a Christmas armistice . .

Nothing would surprise me .

Edited to say that reading subsequent comments I realise this may not have been a joke. I agree that to open up a little for households might be possible but I hope they'll be careful.

[smitch Profile]

I suspect that we'll get Christmas 'off' and then cases will rise again in the New Year. As difficult as it would be, I'd rather we stayed in appropriate restrictions. Even if things are relaxed in our area, we'll still stick to our plans to spend Christmas just the two of us.

[Gruney2 Profile]

I suspect that we'll get Christmas 'off' and then cases will rise again in the New Year. As difficult as it would be, I'd rather we stayed in appropriate restrictions. Even if things are relaxed in our area, we'll still stick to our plans to spend Christmas just the two of us.

I couldn't agree more. Statistics are all very interesting, until you become one, yourself.

[Pampy Profile]

Totally agree, Smitch. I do think that sometimes people forget that we're dealing with a very serious health issue and just see restrictions, guidelines etc as an attempt by government to restrict people's freedom (irrespective of the "colour" of government). Coronavirus isn't going to take a few days off over the Christmas period!

[Pampy Profile]

How peoples' perspectives differ - a couple of years ago, the daughter of the landlady of the pub I use blurted out - "Christmas would be much better if we didn't have all this religious stuff." She's a lovely lass, but oh dear.

Reminds me of when I overheard a young woman asking why the government kept changing the date of Easter!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

The Easter question is reasonable if you aren’t brought up with the Christian church calendar as part of your life I think, and there have been attempts to fix it on a date for a long time

A practising Hindu colleague once asked me if Roman Catholics were the same as Christians. I drew a Venn diagram

[Kacey Profile]

The two of us used to go to my Moms for Christmas, arrive Xmas Eve afternoon and leave day after boxing day. I managed to wrangle us out of it some years ago, I suspect on one level I've never been fully forgiven!

Now we have Christmas all on our own, hot buttered crumpets in bed to start, Champagne with the present opening (OH will eat all of his chocolate coins) We'll have coffee and Baileys at some point, which is the the only time we ever do. Christmas dinner will be our favourite curries with roast potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding. Good cheese & biscuits for supper with some equally good port. We'll finish the night with a good single malt.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

A practising Hindu colleague once asked me if Roman Catholics were the same as Christians. I drew a Venn diagram

[Suffs Profile]

The Easter question is reasonable if you aren’t brought up with the Christian church calendar as part of your life I think, and there have been attempts to fix it on a date for a long time

A practising Hindu colleague once asked me if Roman Catholics were the same as Christians. I drew a Venn diagram

I don’t suppose many of us have much idea about the varying branches of Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism ... or even Judaism for that matter.

I’ve come across English people who don’t understand the relationship between Catholicism and the various Protestant churches.
So many people just switch off when it comes to religious education, not understanding the major part it plays, and has always played, in politics and therefore history and culture.

Edited for typos.

[Hickybank Profile]

A practising Hindu colleague once asked me if Roman Catholics were the same as Christians. I drew a Venn diagram

Sounds like the perfect Christmas to me, do you have a spare room

[KeenCook2 Profile]

We've had my elderly cousin (she'll be 90 next March) and her daughter, who is 10 years younger than me, for Christmas for many years. Then we'll have one or other or neither of our DSs, depending on where they're living!

I ordered a prepared turkey roast and a gammon from Waitrose online yesterday, to collect at our local Little Waitrose at the end of the road on Christmas Eve. There didn't seem to be as much choice as usual and prices are definitely higher. I paid the same this year for a roast for 6 people as I paid last year for one that would serve 8.

Both my cousins live on their own and the younger one is very careful about isolating before she goes to stay with her mother, who lives in Hove. If it turns out all guests are forbidden then we'll freeze either the turkey or the gammon and eat the other over a few days.

[dennispc Profile]

A practising Hindu colleague once asked me if Roman Catholics were the same as Christians. I drew a Venn diagram

Is there no end to your skills Sue, I could've done with that Venn diagram, many in the branch of Christianity of my youth did not consider RC's Christian.

Ramadan varies in date as it's based on a lunar calendar and can vary from country to country.

I think it would be the height of foolishness to give us an armistice at Christmas. As has been said, diseases don't take time off.

[northleedsbhoy Profile]

Ask again around 20 December and I might have a clue . If I can’t get away then I’ll have Christmas on my own which doesn’t really bother me. I’ll probably have some sort of eggs for breakfast and Christmas dinner will probably be prawn cocktail to start then a roast of some sort but definitely not turkey as that is my least favourite.

A whole chicken would be wasteful so chicken thighs if I decide poultry. If I go meat then lamb would be my choice because unlike some folks I like cold lamb for a meal or sandwiches. A small Christmas pudding or cheese for dessert. I’m not really a snacky type person so wouldn’t really bother but would get fruit.

Cheers
NLB

[Uschi Profile]

Herbidacious, could you not stay at a nice hotel? That way you could make it at least a little more festive.

Over here Christmas Eve is the big thing. I have no idea what the powers that be (Axel's Ex and the rest of the family) have planned yet. His son has two small children, which "make" Christmas, of course. He must try and keep a balance between his parents and his in-laws in East Germany. I forget whose turn it is this year. Sometimes son hosts Christmas Eve, sometimes Axel's Ex. I am not complaining, she welcomed me to the family and it is a big task of hosting the thing. Our flat is too small and it would mean even more complicationss.

Preferably we will spend Christmas Eve here and together, trimming the Christmas tree, getting into nice clothes and cooling a festive dinner. Boar is high on the list, but we shall see.

I am already squirrelling away things for my Christmas baking. I could not manage last year, but am determined to do it this year.

[Pampy Profile]

Ramadan varies in date as it's based on a lunar calendar and can vary from country to country.

The month of Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr dates are dependent on sightings of the crescent moon at the beginning and end of 9th month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar. The branch of Islam followed dictates whether the moon has to be seen directly or whether the precise day can be estimated.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

This is my favourite time of year, as nights become longer, and Christmas plannings loom.
We have beautiful skies here, unlike the orange hue of Cheltenham.

Our favourite meal now for the evening celebrations, then our present opening, is chateaubriand and frites. I start cooking at 6pm, and we have it on the table 45mins later

But we still go through our deliberations of turkey this year? turducken - if family is involved I prep turducken -
or something we've never had before is always toss around as an option.
Fish? I'd love to make a fish meal this year, but have no idea what.

Uschi, I still have your little tin for biscuits that I use for keeping nibbles fresh.

Bea, I've never used an ordering service before. But we do entertain the idea often, of getting all things delivered. Probably not this year, as we have farm shops a plenty round here. Such as Jesse Smith just down the road.
One of those luxury delis really, with coffee shop: https://jessesmith.co.uk/farm-shop-coffee

I might do rib of beef this year for a change ....

[Earthmaiden Profile]

Gill, not the same at all but do you know Abbey Farm? https://www.theorganicfarmshop.co.uk/

[herbidacious Profile]

Hmm. A nice hotel in Sheffield?! There are some in Derbyshire but not worth risking in December (snow.)

We may go down that route, but we can't really book anything. The problem is that thing where it's technically possible to stay somewhere but you don't feel safe doing so, underwhich cirumcstances you potentially lose money. Sheffield is a bit of a Covid hotspot. Has been all along.
My mother said to me again "If you can't come it's alright. I don't mind. I won't be on my own. But it may be my last Christmas..." (Wry laugh.) Unfortunately, she may well be right. She is definitely deteriorating.