Why you might be able to visit Santa this Christmas

Visits to Santa's grotto will be allowed in all areas of England in December, after the government published new Christmas advice.

The grottos will be allowed in venues such as garden and shopping centres which can open everywhere under the tiered restrictions that come into force on Wednesday the 2nd of December.

Santa will have to keep his distance though, as social distancing rules are still in place.

Meanwhile, some places that would normally have a visit from Santa and his grotto have already made arrangements for Father Christmas to speak via video, instead of face to face.

Nativity plays

Under the advice, school nativity plays can also go ahead, but children performing should stay in their year group or classroom bubbles.

Parents are also allowed to come and watch nativity performances in areas of England that are in Tier 1 and Tier 2 restrictions, but audience members from different households will have to social distance.

However, for the areas of the country that are in Tier 3, the government has advised that school performances should be recorded or streamed live to a virtual audience.

Singing carols

Carol singing - and carol services - can take place, as long as those attending follow certain rules.

There is a higher chance of passing on the virus if someone who is infected is singing, so those performing in choirs should do so in well-ventilated areas with lots of air flow while keeping a distance from each other.

For any indoor events, audiences joining in with singing will not be allowed this year. But people can sing if they are outside.

Government guidance also explains that door-to-door carol singing is allowed, but only in groups no bigger than six.

Bishop of London Sarah Mullally said: "Advent and Christmas this year will not be the same as previous years but having outdoor congregational singing and indoor carol services with choirs is a reasonable balance and recognises our duty to protect and care for each other."

Church services

People, in all tiers, can attend places of worship for services from 2 December, but the rules on who you attend with depends on which tier you live in, with no indoor mixing allowed in tier two and three.

However, people in the same Christmas bubble can attend together. Christmas bubbles are allowed from 23 to 27 December, where three households can spend five days together.

End of term

The government guidance says that 'Schools should not change their Christmas holidays or close early this term'.

As part of the published advice, the government says parents should continue to send children to school, explaining that the easing of restrictions for five days over Christmas does not mean children should be taken out of school early.

All UK nations will follow a similar relaxing of the rules, to allow families to mix over Christmas.

However, a Welsh teaching union, UCAC says schools should close the week before the scheduled end of term, with lessons moving online for the final days. They say it will avoid children having to isolate during the Christmas period.

The government advice says: "Our senior clinicians continue to advise that the best place for children and young people is in education."