It probably goes without saying that 2020 has been something of an unusual year thus far. The world has virtually ground to a halt on the back of the Covid crisis as international travel has all but stopped and people have been forced to lockdown, social distance and quarantine. All this has led to a range of behavioural changes taking place as people have been forced to adapt quickly to the changing circumstances.
One result has been that old-school practices and activities that many thought were all but gone for good have suddenly surged back to popularity. Here are some of the key activities that are suddenly back in fashion in 2020.
Puzzling
The old jigsaw puzzle is suddenly one of the most popular activities for families to indulge in. Grandma’s old puzzles have been dug out of the attic, second-hand stores raided and anything with a thousand pieces or more (ideally with no missing parts) have been dug out and emptied onto tables across the land. If you have not yet completed a puzzle in this season of coronavirus then you are almost certainly in the minority. They are stimulating and fun and an activity in which the whole family can partake.
Baking
Spend a little time on Facebook and you will find more pictures of baked good than you know what to do with. Unable to eat out or follow conventional routines, people are comfort eating and exploring their kitchens once again. The result is a lot of baking with cakes, muffins, soufflés and biscuits of every variety exiting ovens at a steady rate across the country. Such has been the proliferation of baked goods that some people have even suggested that one of the first phases of lockdown should be known as the baking phase.
Reading
One of the big results of the pandemic has been the change of pace at which people are living their lives. While work and exercise still remain important daily activities it seems like there is suddenly more time to read and to get stuck into a novel. Be it old-school books or more modern Kindle or e-reader based fiction, surveys show that more people are reading in 2020 than ever before. It is a simple case of people getting back to the basics and to the things that provide comfort and escapism from the reality they are currently experiencing – and there really isn’t anything wrong with that.
