Almost half of older people say they’ll spend the season alone
Many older people are set to ignore the Government’s easing of coronavirus restrictions over the festive season and spend this Christmas alone, according to a new survey.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have announced that lockdown restrictions will be eased between December 23rd and 27th to allow up to three households to mix over the Christmas period.
However, in a survey of 1,000 people by retailer Chums, 46% of Brits aged 55+ said they will ignore this lift in the coronavirus restrictions and spend Christmas with only their household.
This news comes after SAGE warned that the UK could see a massive spike in COVID-19 cases in January if Christmas festivities carried on as normal this year.
A further 24% of older Brits surveyed said they are “less likely” to spend Christmas with another household due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only one-fifth of people (21%) said that they would carry on as usual this year.
Coronavirus is known to disproportionately affect older people and for many older Brits this is precisely the reason why they are choosing not to mix this Christmas.
One third of the older people surveyed by Chums (33%) said they were worried about theirs and members of their household’s health over the festive season.
Josh Rubin, managing director at Chums, said: “After such a challenging year, we are pleased to see that restrictions will be eased for Christmas to allow many older people to celebrate with their loved ones.
“However, coronavirus won’t be taking a Christmas holiday. It is still a very real and present threat to older people in the United Kingdom.”
“Our study has found that a lot of older Brits are not prepared to take this risk, especially since social distancing guidelines are still in effect which may be difficult for many households to accommodate.”
Have yourself a virtual Christmas
Chums has also created a list of six festive activities you can do over Zoom if your family cannot be together this season:
- Christmas jumper contest
Who will turn up wearing the wackiest Christmas jumper? In the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, each family member could be tasked to hunt down the loudest, funniest and downright tackiest jumper they can find. Every participant could also contribute a small amount of money to purchase a fun gift for whomever is voted the winner.
- Create and exchange your own ecards
A fun, environmentally friendly way to exchange Christmas cards this year could begin with designing your own online. These can be exchanged via email to see who has the funniest or most creative Christmas card. The more technologically advanced may want to make something on Photoshop, but there are also plenty of websites where the average Joe can easily design their own Ecard free online.
- Virtual Secret Santa
Secret Santa is a fun tradition for many families in the United Kingdom and there’s no reason this has to change because of coronavirus. Draw Names has created an online Secret Santa tool, for instance, where families can take part. Set a monetary value, find a great gift online and mail it to your loved one before doing a virtual unwrapping via Zoom.
- The ultimate Christmas playlist
No Christmas party is complete without the perfect playlist to match, and families who are unable to spend the season together can collaborate on one from home. Spotify allows multiple users to add songs to a playlist, which can then be streamed on your video call to liven up the party.
- Christmas scavenger hunt
Teams can scour their respective households for seasonal clues in a virtual Christmas scavenger hunt. Furthermore, there are many options for unique hints that can extend the game online. Who can find the funniest dressed-up pet via Google search? Or who can find the worst Santa impersonator?
6. Gingerbread house project
Whether they decide to hold a decorating competition via video or just enjoy the festive treats while watching a Christmas movie over Zoom, making gingerbread houses online is a fun way to champion togetherness and combat loneliness this yuletide.
Chums has even launched a competition where bakers who do this can share snaps of their gingerbread houses on Chums’s Facebook post and the most creative entrant will win a festive hamper worth £100.
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