Christmas card on a red background with the words "We thought it would be ok by Christmas but it's all ended in tiers", designed by Soula Zavacopoulos, sold by Moonpig, 2020

Many greetings cards makers developed cards with designs reflecting responses to the COVID-19 pandemic including social distancing, staying at home, and self-isolation. The government introduced a three-tier system in England on 14 October 2020 of medium, high and very high risk areas. Each tier had its own restrictions on what people could and could not do and which businesses could remain open. Following the November lockdown, the tier system was re-implemented on 2 December 2020. Tier 4, a ‘stay at home’ order was issued to London and the South East on 20 December, following the rapid spread of a more virulent variant of the virus. Tier 4 rules also saw the cancelling of Christmas bubbles where three households were originally permitted to meet between 23-27 December. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each had their own systems of implementing restrictions.