Christmas is a time for giving, a time for getting, a time for forgiving and for forgetting. Cliff Richard knew what he was talking about when writing classic Christmas ballad "Mistletoe and Wine" - Christmas is a great time for giving fine food, getting a little fatter around the waist, forgiving the television schedulers for the usual 72 hour drek-marathon and forgetting that you have to go back to work.

Christmas is the ideal time for really indulging yourself, as you're likely to be wearing a decent amount of clothing in the following months and so have plenty of chance to burn off any excess weight gained during the festive period. It is also one of the few times in the year when whole families are brought together around the dinner table to enjoy such delights as roast turkey, smoked salmon, roast potatoes, cranberry sauce and stuffing.

If you are looking for something slightly different to be the centre piece of your Christmas dinner this year, you could try making a three bird roast. A supposed favourite of royalty, the three bird roast is a goose, stuffed with a chicken, stuffed with a pheasant. The juices of each bird run in to each other making one of the most delicious, succulent dishes you will ever try. A three bird roast is the caviar of the poultry world and doesn't come cheap, however it is a substantial meal and should provide far more varied "leftover" options than the traditional turkey.

Christmas is the time of year that you are most likely to receive a hamper basket. Hampers make great presents and can last for months. Typical items that you may find inside a Christmas hamper include pâtés, marmalades, biscuits, jellies and cheeses. Of course, it depends on where you choose to get your hamper from: a gourmet food supplier should offer far superior produce to that offered by your local supermarket. If you can find a hamper produced by your local farm shop, all the better.

Indulging at Christmas is one of the best things about the festival for many people. Eating fine food paired with great wine is an experience that everyone should enjoy if they are fortunate enough to be in a position to do so.