French households prepare subdued Christmas during Covid-19 epidemic, poll shows

France's government plans to lift confinement and travel restrictions in time for the year-end holidays if the Covid-19 epidemic continues to subside, but most French families have already planned low-key holidays this year, according poll results published Tuesday.

Only about half of French people will see their elderly relatives, with two thirds planning to celebrate Christmas with their immediate family, according to a poll by Ifop institute detailed in newspaper Le Parisien on Tuesday.

The poll found 55 percent of people who usually celebrate with their parents or older relatives plan to do so this year, with 68 percent planning to restrict celebrations to their immediate family, up from 48 percent in 2019.

The results suggest that even if restrictions are eased to allow more flexibility on travel and gatherings, many people plan to heed recommendations to avoid extended holiday get-togethers.

If coronavirus cases drop to around 5,000 per day, France's government plans to lift confinement and impose a 9pm to 7am curfew on 15 December, with exceptions on Christmas and New Year's Eves.

“That does not mean we can celebrate Christmas and the New Year as in past years,” said Prime Minister Jean Castex last week. “These moments of festive and friendly gatherings, when we tend to let our guard drop, are particularly risky.”

Only one in 10 people have planned gatherings involving more than 10 others, up from one in three last year. The poll estimated there would be five adults on average per table, compared with 8.5 in 2019.

Health precautions tend to be in mind with 94 percent saying they will wash their hands before each mean, 87 percent saying they will air out their rooms several times per day and 80 percent saying they will avoid the “bise”, the French kiss on the cheek.

France's government was working with religious leaders on how to allow more than 30 people to attend year-end services, though only 7 percent of respondents said they plan to attend mass, compared with 18 percent in 2017.

Europe-wide effort

France and many of its European neighbours have imposed partial economic lockdowns, limits on movement and restrictions on public and private gatherings to taper off a second wave on October and November.

The European Union on Wednesday urged member states to coordinate restrictions for the year-end holiday season to avoid a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the winter, encouraging people to self-isolate before and after social gatherings and keep up physical distancing and mask wearing.

France also plans to keep ski slopes off limits until January and said Wednesday it would impose random border checks to stop people from crossing into countries where ski resorts remain open.

Elsewhere in Europe, Austria plans to allow skiing from 24 December but not Christmas markets this holiday season.

Belgian households will only be able to welcome one extra person over Christmas, while members of three households can meet in Britain and in Ireland.

Up to 10 adults, with no limits on children, will be allowed to meet in Germany, and Norway announced a similar limit for Christmas and New Year's Eves.

Governments of Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands all said they were considering special rules for the holiday season but have yet to announce specific steps.

(with newswires)