The annual rush to “catch up before Christmas” is expected to reach all new levels this year, with many friends barely seeing each other for the last six months. While certain social distancing restrictions remain in place, Melburnians are tipped to be clamouring over themselves to catch up with mates and relatives before the big fat man makes his way down the chimney.

The yearly impulse to enjoy a social activity with just about every person you know has gathered frightening speed in the last decade, with many level-headed locals questioning why these catch-ups must be completed before the self-imposed deadline of December 25 – especially when the festive season is already one of the busiest times of the year. Watsonia man Neil Johnson is one such person. He said, “Every year, it just gets worse. In some of the weeks in the lead up to Christmas, we literally have some kind of social event on each night. Drives me mad.”

Johnson claims the unique combination of limited social interactions throughout the year, and a current limit to one per day, could culminate in the wildest festive season of all-time. He said, “At first I thought the one visitor to the house per day was a good thing, but that’ll just make it all crazier. I struggle to decide which socks to wear each morning, how am I going to make all those decisions on who we do and don’t see each day. It’s going to be a nightmare.”

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