Whether it’s a rosy-cheeked girl wrapped up warm, sun-bathed sheep at twilight or a snow-blanketed apple orchard, myriad pictures sum up the festive season, as 16 friends of COUNTRY LIFE tell Carla Passino

From gleaming presents to inebriating parties, discover five artists’ interpretations of the festive season

Intense and layered or nutty and fun? Our silly quiz reveals w hich Christmas pud you’d be

Jolly frock-coated robins, majestic geese and arboreal partridges make for both literal and symbolic centrepieces at Christmas, says Matthew Dennison, as he revels in the cultural history of the season’s feathered fowl and game

You might be surprised to learn that there are more ghost sightings on Christmas Eve than there are at Halloween, so what better time for a ghost hunt? The festive season has always been favoured by l

I’VE had an idea!” Amanda charged into the living room, shiny brown ponytail swinging. “Oh, no.” Dylan, his bearlike frame packed into an armchair, slid down an inch. Ignoring his reaction, she pointe