At last here are the answers to this year's annual

Across

• 1. A Christmas Carol is the Christmas novella by Charles Dickens about Scrooge. (1,9,5)
• 15. The initials seen on a red dressing gown in The Santa Clause are SC. (1,1)
• 17. The little donkey carried a heavy Load along the dusty road. (4)
• 19. According to Kermit the Frog, there's only one more Sleep 'til Christmas. (5)
• 20. The most financially successful Christmas film is Home Alone (5).
• 21. In 1978 Boney M were Christmas No 1 with 'Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord' (2).
• 22. O what can I give him poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. (2)
• 23. In 1972 Little Jimmy Osmond had a Christmas no 1 hit with 'Long Haired Lover From Liverpool' (5)
• 24. In the meadow we can build a snowman and pretend that he is Parson Brown. (6)
• 26. An important part of Christmas Day is watching the Dr Who Christmas special, a programme that has had the most consecutive Christmas specials shown on British television on Christmas Day. (2)
  
• 27. Autobiographical John Lennon song on 1964 Christmas number one album Beatles For Sale is called 'I'm a Loser' (5)
  
• 29. Jesus was born in part of the Roman Empire. (5)
  
• 30. There are often discounts at shops on Boxing Day to Tempt people to go shopping. (5)
  
• 31. O Come all Ye Faithful (2)
  
• 32. There were Four calling birds (4).
  
• 33. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe author is CS Lewis. (2)
  
• 34. After Albert's death, Queen Victoria always spent Christmas Day at Osborne House, which is located on the Isle of Wight (4,2,5)
  
• 39. In A Song of Ice and Fire also called A Game of Thrones, House Stark has the motto 'Winter is Coming'? (5)
  
• 41. A pudding eaten at Christmas is called Christmas Pud (3)
  
• 42. He’s making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice. (2)
  
• 43. The Three Kings Searched for the baby Jesus by following a star and popping into Herod’s palace. (8)
  
• 46. Dorothy's aunt in The Wizard of Oz is called Em (2).
  
• 47. Christmas crackers contain a paper hat and a Joke (4)
  
• 49. Gonzo played Charles Dickens in The Muppet Christmas Carol. (5)
  
• 50. In Hogfather, Quoth is a Raven (5)
  
• 51. Moans are noises that ghosts and spirits make. (5)
  
• 52. David Bowie (1947-2016) sang 'Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth' with Bing Crosby (5,5)
  
• 54. Hi is an informal greeting given to friends and family at Christmas. (2)
  
• 55. The reindeer particularly fond of ballrooms is Dancer (6)
  
• 57. 1987's Christmas no 1 was 'Always On My Mind' by the Pet Shop Boys. Also 13 across. (2)
  
• 59. A Christmas party might be celebrated by playing Loud music. (4)
  
• 61. Two turtle doves. (3)
  
• 62. 1980 joint Christmas number one with St Winifred's School Choir was '(Just Like) Starting Over' by John Lennon. (8,4)
  
• 64. Ox and Ass before him bow. (3)
  
• 65. Father Christmas lives at the North Pole. (5,4)
  
• 66. 1961's Christmas number one was 'Moon River' by Danny Williams, even though the song is normally associated with Andy Williams. (5)

Down

• 1. Alan Rickman (1946-2016) was the British actor who starred in Christmas films including Love, Actually and Die Hard. (4,7)
  
• 2. Father Christmas's astronomical reindeer is Comet. (5)
  
• 3. 2008's Christmas No. 1, No. 2 and No. 36 with versions by Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and A Burke in the chart was Hallelujah. (10)
  
• 4. 1976's Christmas no 1 was Johnny Mathis' 'When A Child Is Born' (2)
  
• 5. Icy, cold rain is Sleet (5)
  
• 6. Sir Terry Wogan (1938-2016) was the Irish presenter popular with Togs who sang 'Little Drummer Boy' with Aled Jones in 2008 which got to No. 3, and 'Silver Bells' in 2009, getting to 27, the first time the song had entered the UK's top 40. (5,5)
  
• 7. We Wish You a Merry Christmas (5)
  
• 8. Jesus Christ is said to be an Apple tree, a fruit tree that was often wassailed. (5)
  
• 9. The gift from Father Christmas that James took out of his pocket at the end of The Snowman that proved it wasn’t a dream was a Scarf. (5)
  
• 10. A snowman's nose is often a Carrot. (6)
  
• 11. Father Christmas is Also known as Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus. (4)
  
• 12. There was no Room at the inn? (4)
  
• 13. On The First Day of Christmas my true love gave to me. (2)
  
• 14. Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) wrote 'Hallelujah'. (10)
  
• 15. Long time Ago in Bethlehem so the Holy Bible say. (2) Also 43 and 62 Down
  
• 16. The 25th December is Christmas Day (9,3).
  
• 18. We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story was broadcast on Christmas and Boxing Day 2015, named after Fraser's favourite phrase. (6)
  
• 25. In Peter Pan, the dog is called Nana. (4)
  
• 26. Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. (7)
  
• 28. In The Wizard of Oz, the cowardly lion says 'I do I do believe in Spooks'. (6)
  
• 35. Sprouts are the vegetable often eaten as part of Christmas dinner that children do not necessarily appreciate. Not in the same class as the roast potatoes. (7)
  
• 36. Fred is the name of both Scrooge's nephew and, in the 2007 Christmas film starring Vince Vaughn, the name of Santa's bitter older brother. (4)
  
• 37. A Genie is a magical being found in the pantomime Aladdin. Another appears in Bernard and the Genie. (5)
  
• 38. After being visited by the Spirits, Scrooge exclaims 'It’s all right, it’s all true, it all happened. Ha ha ha' (2)
  
• 39. Scrooge is the famous miser whose first name is Ebenezer. (7)
  
• 40. Thaw is the word for When snow and ice melts. (4)
  
• 43. So Here it is Merry Christmas everybody's having fun (2)
  
• 44. A Robin is both a bird often found on Christmas cards, and round ones are letters (5)
  
• 45. The White Witch is a character who personifies Evil in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. (4)
  
• 48. Stuffing with sage and Onion. (5)
  
• 53. Frank Cross didn’t get his brother a VCR for Christmas in Scrooged. (3)
  
• 56. Released in Christmas 1933, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire first danced together when they flew down to Rio (3)
  
• 58. And laying a finger alongside his nose and giving a Nod up the chimney he rose. (3)
  
• 60. An Urn is tall, round vase that is a bit too small to put a Christmas Tree in, but it can be used for storing tea and it sounds a bit like 'Ern', the first name of the play-writing member of Morecombe & Wise. (3)
  
• 62. And So this is Christmas and what have we done, another year over and a new one just begun. (2)
  
• 63. At Christmas time it's hard but when you're having fun. (2)

Please note: all songs and Christmas chart positions are based on Britain's national chart.

The Bluebottle Archive

Bluebottle

26.12.16 Front Page

Back Issue Page