CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Wake up one of Santa’s reindeer with ring (4,2) 4 Christmas tree in front of building with one’s heaps set ablaze (8) 9 Odd situation: Nick’s rear caught in chimney passage (5) 10 December speaker is expert on ornaments? (9) 11 A topic shifted at the end of Kwanzaa: pudding choice (7) 12 What gets Santa dirty and hot, in reality (5) 14 Library features quiet helpers of Santa (7) 16 Letter address is read wrong by Rudolph initially (4,3) 17 Noble rank excited lad more (7) 20 Wood in the hearth engulfed in pine product scent (7) 22 New Jersey hockey player had a home flipped (5) 23 Criticizing a holiday chore in conversation (7) 26 A novice, on different number? (9) 27 Christmas stocking brings, at first, a certain prize (5) 28 Term for Christmas you’ll even put into speech (8) 29 Santa’s teddy bears sampled (6)

DOWN

1 Restaurant’s changing face (4) 2 Law enforcer set free after very short length of time (7) 3 Pipsqueak leads in the West End revue, perhaps (5) 5 Place for many a tree or green vegetable (7) 6 Obstruct many trees completely (9) 7 Lab animal is keeping on restricted fare (7) 8 Extra payments turn to black in waves (10) 10 Doctor Love, by the way, takes a fall (5) 13 Candy canes relocated in the highest position (10) 15 Crackpot cited evil to wit (9) 18 Old show brought back competitor snaring empty victory (7) 19 Confused admirer got hitched (7) 20 Police heard in thicket (5) 21 Information unit’s job, somewhat (7) 24 Old Greek land in region I approached (5) 25 Guided behind the front of Santa’s vehicle in the snow (4)