I think even better than clapping, banging saucepans or ringing bells is staying indoors in the warm and maybe donating to some related charity. I'd feel a right wally standing outside in our quiet little village doing any of these things.
I think people are bored stiff and looking for something for entertainment. Good luck to them, none of my business.
Another grump is the increasing aggression by people in queues, socially distanced. My poor niece was seriously attacked while standing in a queue in Edinburgh. A group of 14 yr old (!!!) louts came up behind and punched the back of her head then threw bottles (!!!) at her as she lay semi-conscious on the ground. She's now still suffering double-vision and vertigo. The Police are looking at CCTV, and will charge the yobs with ABH if they can be caught. All this because she refused to let them overtake her and push her to the back of the queue.