It builds like a storm on a summer's day. At first, the signs are subtle, a hint here, one there, like those wisps of cirrus which paint a cobalt sky in the morning only to give way to puffy cumulus at midday and threatening cumulonimbus clouds in the afternoon.

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I've watched the warning signs build these past few weeks.

The roadside vendors selling boxes of cherries; the increased Highway Patrol presence; fresh flowers on roadside memorials; the creep of cricket coverage to the tops of news websites; the distress of having a bulging wardrobe but nothing to wear to the work function; the fizz and bang of illegal fireworks; parents with fuses made short by squalling children in shopping centres.

They all tell me the silly season is here.

While there's no official start to the season, it's generally agreed it kicks off when federal parliament rises and workplace Christmas parties begin, usually from late November.

Fuelled by alcohol and the stress of getting everything done before Christmas - and finding the money to pay for it - the silly too readily morphs into the stupid season.

We used to say in our coastal newsroom that it was the season in which people found new and inventive ways to harm themselves - on the roads and beaches, in our rivers, on the hinterland firetrails and in backyards where heat, booze and simmering resentment can conspire to turn frivolity into blind fury.

Every year, authorities warn of a surge in domestic and family violence during the silly season. Domestic Violence NSW says that on Christmas Day and Boxing Day there's a 78 per cent increase in reports of domestic violence compared to average days. And on New Year's Day, a 118 per cent increase.

The onset of the silly season is accompanied by stories offering helpful strategies to survive it. Topping the list of hints is to drink responsibly. A close second is to stay cool by seeking shade. And, third but no less important, is learning to say no.

The pressure to socialise with people you haven't seen all year........

© Canberra Times