Here's a look at some of what you'll find inside.
Claus for celebration
Embrace the festive spirit, with bells on, in Amie Elizabeth White’s magical A to Z of Christmas
Well, isn’t that just the icing on the biscuit?
There’s always a reason to biscuit, discovers Katy Birchall
A modern guide to table manners
Catch up on the etiquette of for-mal dining with Annunciata Elwes
Sip, sip, hooray!
Accessories to aid your festive entertaining, with Amelia Thorpe
I’ll have a side of drama, please
Flambé is back on the menu as Tom Parker Bowles argues for the return of tableside cooking
What to serve when
Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler has a tipple idea for every occasion
I go to pieces
A puzzled Ben Lerwill explores the enduring appeal of the jigsaw
He who pays the piper
Octavia Pollock finds a pig in a poke has gone for a burton
Christmas gifts
Hetty Lintell’s perfect present picks for everyone in your life
Editors’ choice
Country Life’s section editors reveal their festive fancies
John Lewis-Stempel’s favourite painting
The Nature writer selects a work in praise of the Southdown sheep
Glory of the garden
Tiffany Daneff marvels at floral creations from Rachel Siegfried
Hitting the sweet spot
How did marzipan take Britain by storm, asks Matthew Dennison
Raise your glass
Mary Miers on fears for the craft of stained-glass window making
Mastered in every detail
Jeremy Musson explores the houses of Henry James novels
Native breeds
Kate Green on Aylesbury ducks
Luxury
Joanna Lumley’s luxury picks and Hetty Lintell’s latest finds
Going full tilt
Rob Crossan takes a tour of Britain’s most crooked buildings
Kitchen garden cook
Melanie Johnson on kalettes
The scents that came in from the cold
Lia Leendertz goes in search of sweet-smelling winter plants
The stuff of salvation
There’s much more to sage than turkey stuffing, finds Ian Morton
I’m berry fond of you
Lia Leendertz hails holly, a winter wonder and symbol of eternal life
The pen commandments
Harry Pearson chronicles the history of the calligrapher’s art
Doing a sterling job
It’s time to dust off the family silver, says Christopher Wilson
Cuba’s greatest hits
Bolivar savours a new cigar from one of the oldest brands
And much more.
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Five frankly enormous mansions, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country LifeSometimes bigger really is better.
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Playing the fool: The rich history of tarot and how it satisfies our desire for transcendenceOnce an elaborate art form that entertained 15th-century Italian nobility, tarot cards have evolved into a tool of divination. A new exhibition shines a light on their history.
