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How to build the perfect snowman
If we get lucky and the weather delivers a big fall of snow, Katy Birchall has the best recipe for building a splendid snowman that will be the envy of your village.
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The 2022 Country Life Editor's Christmas Quiz: The Answers
No peeking!
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The 2022 Country Life Editor's Christmas Quiz
Challenge yourself with our traditional test of knowledge, drawn from all things Country Life, as compiled by Kate Green.
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The Country Life Christmas message, by the Revd Lucy Winkett
As many of us celebrate a simpler Christmas, the Reverend Lucy Winkett is moved by the generosity of those often dealing with their own difficult circumstances and stresses that giving someone your time can be a great gift, too.
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Who wrote the Christmas Carols we know and love? 11 songs and their stories, from Silent Night to Good King Wenceslas
Many of our best-loved and most moving Christmas carols started life as poems in search of a tune. Andrew Green uncovers the writers whose works were nearly forgotten, yet are now imprinted on the memory.
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The story of Midnight Mass — and why all are welcome with open arms, even those who've come straight from the pub
For the Revd Colin Heber-Percy, a candlelit Midnight Mass service at his parish church in Wiltshire promises packed pews and a child-like anticipation of Christmas.
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How to fold a napkin rose at Christmas: A step-by-step guide
A beautifully-folded napkin is the ideal way to finish off your festive table setting. Here's how to fold a rose napkin.
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The best Christmas food in Britain — including 'the Rolls-Royce of turkey' — as chosen by Tom Parker Bowles
Christmas offers a chance to celebrate all those great food producers who work so passionately to ensure that our feast is as ethical as it is delicious. Tom Parker Bowles applauds some of the very best.
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Perfect roast goose recipe from Mark Hix
Cooking the perfect Christmas goose, with delicious gravy, is a fantastic way to celebrate Christmas. Mark Hix explains how it's done.
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Christmas drinks gift guide: Best gin, best whisky, beer and more for the festive season
Whether you're keen to pour your own draft beer, drink Cotswolds whisky or enjoy a raft of different gins, we've got you covered.
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15 delightful ideas for a beautiful Christmas table setting
Inspirational ideas for setting the table this season, selected by Amelia Thorpe.
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The traditional British toy makers still crafting wooden tops, rocking-horses and teddy bears
From automata to wooden dogs with jointed legs, members of the British Toymakers Guild have crafted a cornucopia of intriguing playthings that are not only for children, says Claire Jackson.
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Christmas gifts for children that don't need screens or take batteries
Don't just pick up the latest plastic toys with lights and noises – take a look at these gifts which kids will love just as much as you do.
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Jason Goodwin: I bought a 4lb cheese wrapped in goat skin that looked like a Moomin and brought it 2,500 miles back home. What could go wrong?
Our intrepid columnist goes the extra mile to bring a cave-aged Turkish delicacy back to England — only to run in to a group of guests who give him the distinct impression that they'd rather he hadn't bothered.
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Christmas gifts for ladies to inspire, delight and entertain
From £50 to £1,280, we've selected some lovely items to help you find the perfect present.
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Curious Questions: Why are Christmas cracker jokes so corny?
With the dust having settled on Christmas, there is only one question left to ponder: why are the jokes in crackers so intentionally bad? Martin Fone explains all.
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Curious Questions: Why do we take Christmas decorations down on January 6th? (And why it should really be the 5th)
Our houses never look better than they do throughout the festive period, so why do we take down Christmas decorations on January 6? After all we could simply leave them up for a few more weeks, couldn't we? Martin Fone investigates.
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A stunning mews house for sale on the row where Love Actually's most poignant and romantic scene was filmed
Love actually is... a Notting Hill Mews house.
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Boxing Day: What it is, why we celebrate it, and how 'Good King Wenceslas' earned his name on the Feast of Stephen
Better known as Boxing Day, the origins of St Stephen’s Day are sinister and macabre, especially for poor wrens, as Aeneas Dennison discovers.
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The Country Life Christmas message by Revd Daniel French, the brilliant and quirky vicar with a penchant for dressing in Dalek costumes at village fêtes
We have a tendency to exhaust ourselves trying to create the perfect Christmas, but we should return to the charitable heart of the season and be mindful of those who are struggling, advocates the Revd Daniel A. French.
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Curious Questions: Why do we kiss under the mistletoe?
Peaking at Christmas, regard for mistletoe is deeply rooted in myth and legend, finds Ian Morton – not to mention the age-old tradition of kissing underneath it.
