Christmas in Shakespeare's day was an extravagant festival that included a long season of merrymaking, feasting and, most important of all, masques and plays.

Shakespeare's Christmas is a delightful glimpse into an Elizabethan Christmas, comprising little-known stories – such as the time Elizabeth I interrupted Shakespeare's performance by walking across the stage and dropping a glove at his feet – recipes of traditional Elizabethan desserts, ballads and poems.

A must-read if you are interested in the ignoble goings-on of the Lord of Misrule and a chance to immerse yourself in the celebrations of a Shakespearean Christmas.