In the Northern Hemisphere, the 21st of December is the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year. As the nights protract and eclipse the afternoons, I struggle with the effect this has on my brain. Going to work and coming home in the dark, life feels insular and low to the ground. My eyes strain against the grains and shades. I feel ‘inexplicably’ tired and irritable. I mainline coffee, craving blankets and sugar.

Every year, in this nebulous state of mind, there is a luminous saving grace: Christmas lights. Clear classic white fairy lights in a hive, slicing through the dark with a twinkle.