Puzzle pause

Grab a pen and a few moments’ peace to set your mind to our brain-diverting puzzles. When you’re ready, you’ll find the answers on p70.

CHRISTMAS CROSS

Celebrate this festive season by tackling our jolly Christmas crossword. It is sure to bring a smile to your face.

ACROSS

2. ... In A Manger

4. A Christmas Carol boy, Tiny ...

6. What the shepherds watched by night, all seated on the ground

8. Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy, Jingle ... Way (3,3)

10. Harry Belafonte and Boney M both charted with... Boy Child

11. Dickens’ “Bah, humbug” character

15. Movie about Christmas lights starring Danny DeVito, ... The Halls

17. John and Yoko sang ... Xmas (War is Over)

18. Traditional carol, ... Night

19. In ‘ Twas the Night Before Christmas, “The children were nestled all snug in their ...”

20. Kermit and Miss Piggy feature in It’s A Very ... Muppet Christmas Movie

23. It Came Upon The ... Clear

24. On his 2009 album, Christmas In The Heart, Bob Dylan sang a version of Silver ...

25. American hip-hop group …-DMC sang about Christmas in Hollis

26. O Little ... Of Bethlehem is traditionally sung by the choir of King’s College, Cambridge

DOWN

1. He knows if you’ve been bad or good (5,5)

3. “On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, five ... rings”

5. Two people who meet under this hanging plant decoration are obliged to kiss

7. Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Nutcracker, features The Dance Of The Sugar ... Fairy

9. Hark! The ... Angels Sing

11. Traditional carol about the wise men travelling to landlocked Bethlehem, I Saw Three ...

12. “Once in ... David’s city; Stood a lowly cattle shed”

13. Where the Three Kings came from

14. Merry Christmas in Spanish, Feliz ...

16. Family film about a train headed for the North Pole, The Polar ...

21. Mariah Carey hit, All I Want For Christmas Is ...

22. One of the most popular yuletide songs, ... Christmas

24. ... Crosby first recorded

22 down and it went on to become the best-selling single of all time