23 December

Take the stress out of Christmas Day by keeping the cooking to a minimum – you really don’t need any more than a nice joint, a couple of veggies and one of these fantastic recipes, says Bill Granger.

The night before Christmas can be a great time to get a few friends around for a gentle knees-up, before or after midnight mass (if you go, that is). I always think that a really good Christmas Eve sort of rolls into Christmas Day, in the sense that the festive spirit is well and truly upon us by then.

Striving to produce the perfect festive meal is a recipe for frayed tempers in the kitchen. Gillian Orr gets advice on cutting a few corners on the big day.

The traditional Christmas bird may not be cheap, says Anthea Gerrie, but with its uniquely delicious fat and crispy crackling, it’s a festive feast that keeps on giving

Starting to fill up the cupboards for the Christmas hordes? Get started with a few boxes of these buttery treats...

Bruno Loubet

From fine champagne to the perfect party plonk and a few cheeky spirits, Anthony Rose selects his festive favourites

A vicious price war on wines and spirits is good news if you're stocking up for Christmas. Jamie Merrill finds out what's on offer.

Tristan Welch

Fans of A Christmas Carol will recall that the story ends with a slap-up dinner at the Cratchit household, a half-circle around the hearth and the salutation: "God bless us every one!" from the crippled-but-plucky Tiny Tim. Modern-day parishioners of the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, know that his usual Christmas card salutation is "Health, prosperity and settled hearts." In Scotland, every household on New Year's Eve promises to "take a cup of kindness yet" in memory of long ago.

1. Hale and Hearty

£8.99 (454g), hollandandbarrett.com

Anyone on a gluten-, wheat- or dairy-free diet can enjoy this indulgent award-winner.