Cracker crossword:
Try our bumper Christmas crossword.
Across
1. _ Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (8) 5. What Christmas hats are made of (5) 10. Colour of Christmas tree (5) 11. Christmas entertainment (9) 12. _ Swit played Hot Lips Houlihan (7) 13. The Hunt For Red _, right colour, wrong month for Christmas (7)
14. Patty and Selma are Bart Simpson’s ones (5) 16. Things on present wish-list (5) 18. Do this to gift-wrapping? (3) 20. Exclamation often uttered by cartoon character Homer Simpson (3) 21. Christmas tree decoration (5) 23. US actor, _ Hawke (5) 24. _ Dine With Me, invitation to Christmas dinner? (4)
26. Late US 1950s rock ‘n’ roll singer with festive-sounding surname (5,5) 30. European language (6) 31. Singer, _ Kitt (6) 33. Late US singer/songwriter/pianist who died in 2004 (3,7)
34. _ Heche stars in 2005 Christmas TV movie, Silver Bells (4) 36. Lies about lazily on sofa (5) 38. US actress, _ Keaton (5) 40. Sweeping camera movement, or what you cook turkey in (3)
41. 2011 animated film Arthur Christmas is about Santa’s one (3) 42. Does this when tired (5) 44. _ Kings, nativity visitors (5) 46. Very comfortable victory (4,3) 48. Highest achievements in sports (7) 50. How a sentimental Christmas movie may make you feel (9)
51. Golden _ , Christmas film from earlier era that is still popular, eg (5) 52. Advertises in extravagant way (5) 53. __ The Wind, Elton John song (6,2)
Down
1. _ Lawson – TV cook who can whip up delicious Christmas dinner (7) 2. Character who stole Christmas (3,6) 3. Ripley’s Believe It _ _!, (2,3) 4. Performing in movie or TV series (9) 6. Much Ado _ Nothing, Shakespeare play and film – or Christmas fuss? (5)
7. _ Festival Fringe – large annual arts festival held in Scotland (9)
8. Extra performance in response to audience applause (6) 9. Bambi and Santa’s Rudolph, eg (4) 15. Seen on top of Christmas tree? (4) 17. Nativity story character (8) 19. Kaley Cuoco’s character in The Big Bang Theory (5) 20. _ The Halls, Christmas carol (4) 22. The _ _, 1941 comedy film (4,3) 25. Too much wine makes you this! (5) 27. Showed cinema-goers to seats (7) 28. Lindsay _, US actress (5) 29. Eye_ _ _, Helen Mirren film (2,3,3) 32. Senior clergy or in university (4) 33. Parts in movies or in Christmas games of charades (5) 35. Clark _ – Superman’s alter ego (4) 37. Large-scale epic movie is usually this! (4,5) 39. Hugh Jackman’s country of origin (9) 40. Bird found in a pear tree (9) 43. US actress, _ Ryder (6) 45. _ Promises, Viggo Mortensen film – direction of Christmas star (7)
46. Barbara _ starred in old US sitcom, I Dream Of Jeannie (4) 47. _ Christmas, movie and song (5) 49. The _ Goes Wild, local sports series – or gathering to see Santa, maybe (5)
Across: 1. National, 5. Paper, 10. Green, 11. Pantomime, 12. Loretta, 13. October, 14. Aunts, 16. Items, 18. Rip, 20. Doh, 21. Angel, 23. Ethan, 24. Come, 26. Buddy Holly, 30. French, 31. Eartha, 33. Ray Charles, 34. Anne, 36. Lolls, 38. Diane, 40. Pan, 41. Son, 42. Yawns, 44. Three, 46. Easy Win, 48. Records, 50. Emotional, 51. Oldie, 52. Hypes, 53. Candle In.
Down: 1. Nigella, 2. The Grinch, 3. Or Not, 4. Appearing, 6. About, 7. Edinburgh, 8. Encore, 9. Deer, 15. Star, 17. Shepherd, 19. Penny, 20. Deck, 22. Lady Eve, 25. Merry, 27. Ushered, 28. Lohan, 29. In The Sky, 32. Dean, 33. Roles, 35. Kent, 37. Long Story, 39. Australia, 40. Partridge, 43. Winona, 45. Eastern, 46. Eden, 47. White, 49. Crowd.