More Plan To Celebrate Christmas With Family: IL Patch Survey - Patch.com

ILLINOIS — The majority of Illinois Patch readers said they plan to limit their Christmas celebrations to their households only and do not plan to travel, but a larger portion of those who responded said they will gather for Christmas as usual despite the pandemic, compared with a similar survey regarding Thanksgiving.

Of the nearly 2,000 who responded to Patch's non-scientific survey, more than 58 percent said they will celebrate Christmas with their own households only. That's slightly less than the 64 percent who said they would limit Thanksgiving celebrations to their own household.

More than 28 percent said they would gather with family friends outside their household for Christmas — up from 26 percent for Thanksgiving — and 13 percent said they were planning a virtual celebration.

Meanwhile, almost 76 percent said they don't plan to travel to see friends or relatives for Christmas, while 19 percent said they will travel locally and just more than 5 percent said they're going out of state for Christmas.

That's a slight shift from November, when more than 80 percent said they planned to stay home and 14 percent said they planned to travel locally to gather for Thanksgiving. But the same portion — 5.3 percent — said they planned to travel out of state for the holiday.

But more readers seemed to be in favor of wearing masks during Christmas celebrations.

More than 74 percent of Patch readers believed those gathering with people outside their own households for Christmas should wear masks, compared with 67.2 percent for Thanksgiving.

More people — just more than 70 percent — said they didn't believe in quarantining for two weeks before gathering for Thanksgiving, compared with about 65 percent who nixed doing likewise prior to Christmas celebrations.

More than 78 percent said they didn't plan to have guests get tested for coronavirus prior to Christmas gatherings, compared with more than 83 percent for Thanksgiving.

About 74 percent of Illinois Patch readers said they are concerned that Christmas celebrations could lead to another surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, similar to 72 percent who had the same fear prior to Thanksgiving.

Patch readers also reflected on what a pandemic Christmas means to them.

"Not seeing my children is the hardest part," one reader wrote, while another added, "I pray that next year is somewhat back to normal!"

Another reader said, "I am a senior who lives alone. Due to the virus I will spend Christmas Day alone just like I did Thanksgiving. Not a good year for celebrations."

Here's how some Patch readers said they're celebrating or modifying celebrations to keep people safe:
Family is coming over one or two at a time for gift giving. We are not cooking a meal for everyone this year.
Increase air circulation in home and use air purifier. Try and keep social distance.
We are staying home this year and celebrating via Zoom. Staying home not only to keep ourselves safe and healthy but others too. Every action we make has its consequences and hopefully the actions people take this year help people instead of hurt.
Our family wants to live and help others live, so we think for one year to be a little less "clustered together" isn't a big deal.
I celebrate Christ not Santa so no change.
I am 75 and have lymphoma. I will prepare a Christmas meal and deliver to granddaughter and great granddaughter. I will just drop it off. May do FaceTime later. I have purpose but it's still very lonely especially for seniors by themselves.
We are only having 3 additional family members at our house Christmas Day instead of the usual 25 to 30.
Just my husband and I this year, no kids, grandkids or extended family. We value the health of our family and friends, so no gatherings this year.
We are celebrating outside in afternoon around a bonfire with a small family gathering for and hour or two, or until we all get too cold and go home.
My out of town relatives aren't careful at all, so forget them, we'll celebrate without 'em!
Zoom. Post office delivery of gifts. No big meal. No fancy meal.
We will NOT change anything regarding gathering with family for Christmas this year!
The Coronavirus numbers are fudged to make it seem worse than it actually is. Plus more than half all deaths are in nursing homes, where people are high risk.
I am changing everything. Not by choice. The prohibitions are draconian. I have no health fears. I trust in the lord, my God.
We will be celebrating 'Christmas in July,' July 2021 that is, presuming after everyone in the family gets a vaccination. It is better that everyone stays safe and healthy.
Because of accidental exposure to someone with the virus...waiting on my test results on whether my family & I can celebrate together in our home. I may be spending the holiday self quartering in my bedroom.
Not seeing friends this year or family that lives out of state. Very sad!! Honestly, would love it if everyone around the world to postpone Christmas until the vaccine was largely distributed. But we'll make do. One thing we won't do: a Zoom Christmas. Tried that before. Awful. (Or at least for our family. Others are probably less uptight.)
We are moving Christmas to a different date. Most likely in February.
I'm a doctor working the front lines with Covid. I'm celebrating with my household bubble of 3. I've been indoors with NOBODY else for 9 months and don't plan to change now. There'll be another year to do all the old familiar things. Extraordinary times and extraordinary measures go hand in hand.

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More Plan To Celebrate Christmas With Family: IL Patch Survey - Patch.com

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