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When my father died in 2007, I carried the burden with me for years. About a year ago, it occurred to me that I didn’t have the full story
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The presents are under the tree, the turkey has been demolished… It’s time to play. Martin Love explains the rules to some silly games for you and all the family
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A woman wants her friend’s children to know how they were conceived. Mariella Frostrup questions her over-involvement
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Jonathan Freedland always turned to his older sister Fiona for advice. When she knew she was dying, she turned to him for one last favour: would he record her Desert Island Discs?
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Jonathan Freedland in conversation with his sister Fiona, whose final wish was to record her own Desert Island Discs
teenage special
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Having hardcore punk musicians for parents has been a noisy delight for Holly MacHenry – and an education
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We asked young readers, aged 13-18, to share their experience of growing up with parents and siblings. Funny, moving, revealing – here are some of the replies
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A guide for adults who don’t want to shame teenage family members in front of their friends, or make themselves look stupid
opinion
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The perfect gift is one that lingers in your mind for ever, reminding you in bleak evenings of generosity and love
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New data protection rules could block under-16s from social media access without parental consent, denying them rights to expression and information
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For my mother, the holiday season was kind of a mission against darkness, hunger, sadness and cold – everyone was welcome at her table
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In taking on the emotional labour of the season, the sweating servants of the turkey reassure the rest of us that all is well
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A childhood present from my parents evoked the war they had lived through and foreshadowed the day I would lose them both
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Time: the Christmas gift that money can’t buy
Yvonne RobertsThere’s no better chance than the Christmas break to do what’s best for our families: simply be with them
advice
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Problem solvedProblem solvedMy partner is angry and abusive – if I say I’m going to leave, he threatens to kill meWhen I packed, he said his death threats were just a joke. How can I make him see that his behaviour is unacceptable? Annalisa Barbieri advises a reader
love & sex
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Swipe Right is our advice column that tackles the tricky world of online dating. This week: how to pursue a new relationship without losing your current one
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In January, a survey that claimed to make people fall in love swept the internet. Two Guardian writers went on a date to put it to the test. Did they live happily ever after?
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Why is everyone obsessed with marrying their BFF? Partly because the way we think about heterosexual marriage in America has evolved – for the better
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Dating sites always see a spike in interest in the aftermath of Christmas. Compliments, courtesy and clarity in communication would go a long way to improving all users’ experiences
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If we directly confronted people with their every flaw or annoyance, we’d all be exhausted and hurt all the time. Stop moralizing and get in on some hot goss
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Stella Grey receives an intimate selfie late at night. And then the man’s wife calls her …
popular
Spending Christmas alone? I am – and I will enjoy it