2021 has been a brutal year. For many, it was worse than 2020. The July riots, ongoing Covid-19 devastation, a harsh economic climate, record high unemployment figures and petrol prices, uncertainty in the aftermath of the local government elections ... South Africans are reeling.

We are desperate for a festive break. We want to let loose, relax and unwind. We want to kick up our feet, take a few deep breaths and recalibrate. And, woah, do we ever need it. We’ve been through a lot this year.

But we cannot let our guards down. The Christmas season’s joy is often offset by heartbreak and devastation — and on the back of the turmoil and tears of the last 20-odd months, now, perhaps more than ever, it is essential that all of us are as sensible and responsible as we can be...