The festive holiday adverts have started. When did companies decide that mid-November was the time to kick off the festive period? Has it always been this way? This year, I decided that I’m not going to watch any of these advertisements until December. Obviously, the luckier of us don’t have much going on in our lives currently, and there’s not a huge amount to look forward to as yet, so this way I get to eke out any pre-festivity enjoyment come the actual month of Hanukah, Kwanzaa and Christmas.

Only one advert has snuck before my eyes, for the e-commerce website Etsy, which surprised me. It started playing on Twitter and by the time I went to pause it, I was halfway through and my eyes had already welled up with tears. I decided to finish watching because I hadn’t had my daily cry and I wanted something to tip me over the edge. Maybe I’m too strict on myself when it comes to wanting proper demarcation of the seasons, or maybe subconsciously, for now, I’m eschewing the anxiety of having to buy gifts for my friends and family. Either way, I’m aware that 2020 has run away from all of us. I just want another couple of weeks to accept that. And another couple of weeks to plan what books I’ll be buying people for the holidays.