Our festive traditions may feel rooted in celebrations of the birth of Christ, but the trees and plants we use for decoration tell a different story

The SAS (Special Air Service) make routine use of sleep-deprivation exercises in their selection process, and these often feature in later training. Hallucinations during such exercises are very commo

Discover what makes these plants popular around Christmas time

Ross Pearson extols the happiness that comes from learning and embracing traditional skills

Celebrated in the loveliest of carols, holly warms hearts anew each winter, but there’s more to the spiky gem than merely Christmas cheer, writes Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Andrew Oldham explains how fostering a spirit of togetherness can help to banish the winter blues