We’re nearing the end of the year (already?) and you know what that means! Christmas is just around the corner. And unlike last year, there’s a fat chance we’ll actually be able to go out and celebrate the occasion in 2021 now that a majority of British adults are vaccinated against COVID.
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Christmas is back!
To kick off the holiday spirit early, councillors have revealed that England’s most beloved Christmas markets are officially coming back this year—the Manchester Christmas Markets. Councillor Pat Karney, who is the ‘Christmas spokesperson’ on the council said on Hits Radio Manchester:
It's incredibly important that Manchester's Christmas economy has this boost because tens of thousands of jobs are dependent on Manchester having a great Christmas.
People will just want to get together in a safe way. We'll make sure that it's safe - and just enjoy being human again and enjoying Christmas.
The markets will be up and running in six different locations across Manchester, from 12 November to 22 December.
COVID Christmas markets
Even though we’re not completely out of the pandemic, it looks like the markets will still be functioning in full scale this year, with all of the best food stalls, gift shops, and pop-up bars. Organisers have assured the public that they have not forgotten about the circulating virus, and said they will be making the venues COVID-safe. Karney added:
We only decided yesterday, we had to put them through every Public Health test and that’s the whole approach to Christmas this year, making it safe for traders and the public. We have learnt from the experience of markets over the summer – there will be entrances and exits, strong crowd controls.
As for New Year’s Eve celebrations, the councillor revealed that they have yet to decide on a concrete plan. He concluded:
The government keeps changing its mind on Covid passports and crowds, and we haven't come to a separate decision on a big switch-on and a New Year celebration - but we'll come back to that in a couple of weeks.
