In case Wham! and Mariah belting out their Xmas hits in every other shop hadn't alerted you to the fact, Christmas is definitely coming.

But whether or not we should have our decorations up yet is a matter that's less clear.

Are you of the 'earlier the better' school of festive thought, or more last minute when it comes to decking the halls, walls and all other areas of the house?

While some people can't wait to get the baubles out of the loft and onto the tree, others favour a more leisurely approach.

My kids have already dug out the bags of Xmas tat and started sticking tinsel about the place. The dreaded Elf on the Shelf – an entirely selfish birthday gift from my youngest to her dad – is sitting ominously on the mantelpiece.

My approach is to get the tree up early enough to get the full value out of the effort and expense it involves, then get it down sharpish straight after Boxing Day.

The latter part of this preference divides opinion in our house, but whatever the rules of Advent may be, once we have the new year in our sights I want the clutter of Christmas out of the way.

The shift from gluttony and merriment to fresh starts and all the associated new year, new you malarkey doesn't go well with a wilting Christmas tree and I'm always keen to get the baubles back in the loft and the tree in the green bin as soon as possible.

Regardless, our tree will be going up this weekend and its removal is for now but a distant thought. It's too early to think about January and all that that entails at this point.

For now, let's make the most of a hopefully non-too-Covidy Christmas. It can't be worse than last year, can it? We can but hope...