Intensive care doctor Diederik Gommers is the latest news. I guess if there isn't any it can be made up. His news is "Skip Christmas this year."
I doubt it will help the poor out of their debts since in the Netherlands Christmas is not a big celebration and it never was.
Christmas in the Netherlands means a decorated (fake) three and a few people still have 'the star of Bethlehem' in front of their window. This is basically it. No decorated house. Not in or outside. Presents is not custom although shops will try to force is upon our throats (they do everything to sell).
Those who believe visit church, many only do so two or three times a year. This year most likely churches will be closed just like restaurants and shops.
I remember the time people visited a restaurant on first or second Christmas day, which is December 25 or 26. Reservations had to be made six months in advance! Can you imagine that? Those days are over since long and with long I mean at least 25 years ago. Restaurants are closed during those days because people have nothing to spend.
Some supermarkets are inventive and sell you a box with ingredients to prepare your own Christmas dinner at home.
The doctor wants us to skip Christmas because of the coronavirus. Sorry, but that doesn't make any sense to me and sounds more like 'how to kill a nation within a few weeks by taking every bit of freedom and fun away of them'.
No December 5th (Saint Nicholas), no Christmas, no New Year's Eve. You truly believe it's the virus?
Who followed the news and politics of the past years knows it has nothing to do with the coronavirus but everything with a few people who feel 'insulted' because suddenly our national way of celebrating doesn't fit to their lifestyle.
Personally I do not celebrate Christmas. Except for a tree we do nothing special. We stay home with our family, keep our payamas on and watch old movies. That is what our Christmas looks like since years. It is what it looks like if you have no family, friends and nothing to spend. It is what Christmas looks like to most people these days if there is nothing to celebrate.
The nation spends those days home alone and a shocking amount of people hopes those miserable days pass by soon. Why? Because people do not care about each other and no one invites you.
What more is Christmas good for? For murder and suicide. Divorced men shoot their children and ex wife, lonely people end their life and only a very small group stuffs themselves with turkey which they flush away with a high amount of wine.
What I think? I would say: Let's celebrate this year, invite someone for a change. Even if you have only a piece of bread to share. Skip the presents and invest in family, friends, and neighbors, or better strangers. You might need them.
I also wonder if we'll be skipping christmas but i doubt that in this country. I wouldn't mind taking a break from Christmas for this year though. It would be a relief from expenses