Halloween wasn’t always the big deal it is now, our columnist recalls

Whether you call it Christmas, Winterval or just ‘the holidays’, the period between late December and early January is cocoon time: a cessation of work and routine activities. It begins with tradition

Bob Cooper of Macclesfield, Cheshire remembers: From an early age, I have always loved reading and writing. My best subject at school was English to the detriment of maths, and I managed to become top

Our favourite celebrities share their Christmas Day traditions

Hayley cut through the bustling Christmas market to the café where she was meeting her friends. The comforting scents of pine and roasting chestnuts assailed her senses, along with the steady beat of

From blow-up snowmen to silly family games – these familiar faces have their rituals, just like the rest of us