WINTER HOLIDAYS FUN & GAMES CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE AGES
WORD SEARCH
PREMIER PUZZLE | ONE-OFF SONGS OF THE SEASON
Find each of the listed words in the diagram. Look forward, backward, horizontally, vertically and diagonally and circle each word as you find it
Advent Angel Bethlehem Blitzen Camel Candles Candy Carol Celebrate Chimney Christmas tree Comet Dancer Dasher December Donkey
Telesphorus, the second Bishop of Rome, declared in the 2nd century A.D. that public church services should be held to celebrate “The Nativity of our Lord and Savior.” In 320 A.D., Pope Julius I and other religious leaders specified Dec. 25 as the official date of the birth of Jesus Christ. In the 13th century, St. Francis of Assisi introduced Christmas carols to formal church services. In 1531, in Germany, the first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared.
Donner Ebenezer Scrooge Eggnog Elves Excited Family Fir Frosty Fruitcake Gifts Gold Goodwill Gravy Green Greetings
Ham Holly Jolly Joy Lights Manger Mass Merry Mistletoe Myrrh Noel North Pole Party Pie Pine Prancer
Presents Pumpkin pie Red Reindeer Ribbon Roast Rudolph Santa Claus Shepherds Shopping Silent Night Sleigh Snowman St. Nick Stable Star
Stuffing Surprise Tinsel Toast Toys Tradition Turkey Vacation Vixen Winter Wise men Worship Wreath Yule log
The Christmas tree was first decorated with lights in the 16th century. It is believed that Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, was so taken with the Christmas night sky that he added lighted candles to the tree to bring “the lights of the stars” into the home of his family. A goose was customary Christmas fare until the early 1600s, when King Henry VIII of England took it upon himself to tuck into a turkey. The first American Christmas carol was written in 1649 by a minister named John de Brebeur. It is called “Jesus Is Born.”
SUDOKU
A wreath with holly and red berries began from at least the 17th century. Holly, with its sharply pointed leaves, symbolized the thorns in Christ’s crown of thorns. Red berries symbolized the drops of Christ’s blood. A wreath at Christmas signified a home that celebrated to birth of Christ.
DOWN
1 In — rush 2 Religious act 3 Urban model — Chyna 4 Horse gait 5 Likely traffic snarl times 6 Opens, as a tomb 7 Sea predator 8 Billiards 9 — nitrate (fuel additive) 10 With 85-Across, “Dig in!” 11 — Canals 12 Gossipy chatterer 13 Hoppy brews 14 Decree
15 Cellphone components 16 Cursor, often 17 “Affliction” star 18 Birch cousin 20 Deer cousin 25 Pianist John 27 Prefix with life or land 31 Big name in frozen drinks 32 Part of NBA: Abbr. 33 Capital of Senegal 34 Brunch dish 35 Luxuriant 36 “Bad” cholesterol, for short 37 Vocal vote 38 Chem., e.g. 39 Multitude 40 Yule drink 41 Not sound 42 Actress Langtry 46 Baseball’s Red — 47 Pro 48 Go-aheads 50 Rightful deserts 51 They show certain transit routes 52 Actress Dern 55 Shanty 59 Tim of football 60 — Poke (candy) 62 “Do Ya” gp. 63 Lion lair 64 B-to-F run 65 Suffix with drunk 66 Wish undone 68 Sun or moon 70 “Yes, that guy!” 71 1,051, to Nero 72 Iroquois tribe 73 Per annum 77 Doesn’t exit 78 Irish dance 79 Yankee land 80 Small dollop 82 Arboreal frogs
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In the way a lass would 2011 Marvel Comics film Problems for vain sorts Snarling mutt Chart buster “Sorta” suffix — -wee Herman “— will not!” Clunker Adds abundantly Swear by C-worthy Polloi lead-in In two, say Scatterer of seeds City square Patella locale Certain bolt holder Altitudes: Abbr. Architect Saarinen Drescher of “The Nanny” Lashes (up) Traffic clog Redding of soul Canadian fuel brand Deep desire Company abbr. “— was saying ...”
CRYPTOQUIPS The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error. Here’s how to work it: A X Y D L B A A X R is L O N G F E L L O W One letter stands for another. In this sample, A is used for the three L’s, X for the two O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints.
1. E I U Z J I V M F Z T U F Z N A X J L N S W G X UGLNZ FLTX ILSMWUC EMAX ZIUZ‘F E U C Z L L G M Z Z X V ? “ L Z U AA M A G L T G . “ 2. U T B N V P N M G N Q B G Y Z N O Q V M E R T E R D B Y B U V B P Y N Z R T D Y U V Z Y Y D, E U B
CATCH THIS CLASSIC
Scan this QR code with the camera on your phone or tablet to watch “Spinach Greetings,” the 1960 holiday special of the “Popeye the Sailor” classic cartoon!
GNQFE SUFEP OY “XERN XERN XERN!“ 3. D Q B Y W M H D E Y S S Q B “ D Q J S B R QU J Z S V E Z “ R U M M Y B U S M S E L E X M Y L, DQES
ZQMHXO WMH OM? FUJYL RUMZFW.
CRYPTOQUIPS
In 1945, an album containing Bing Crosby’s signature song, “White Christmas,” is released. The recording would go on to become the best-selling single ever, with sales of more than 50 million copies worldwide.
Wall St. whiz Capote, informally Milky gemstones “Avatar” actress Zoe 1,760-yard footrace Juliet’s lover Big name in hair care Puzzled Shy around all of humanity? Adorn big shopping centers? Letters on an ambulance Lavish attention (on) “Bali —” Prefix like “equi-” More recent Transport Kriss Kringle on a small, wheeled cart? Middle name of Mozart Yeats’ “The Wild Swans at —” Teen’s skin woe Brazil’s — Paulo Bulletproof vest material Fastener holding a sleigh tinkler in place? Foreman foe Moo — Address with dots in it Tomahawks Takes five Rides that aren’t new Debt note Rogers or Acuff playing percussion as a child? Droid Fait accompli Blights Kin of karate Poker player Ungar Sow, e.g.
See 10-Down Reason you might give for not buying a china plate? Mother of Rajiv Gandhi Chatter Hurry False front With dignity Vacation in Italy’s capital? In accordance with Profs’ aides Gigi’s “yes” Voting place Fancy carp Earliest tune that singer Billy ever wrote? Far off driving one’s Ford pickup? Japanese massage Divided into new districts Hindu maxim collection ’Bama rival Hypnotic states “Let’s roll!” Purview of Gov. Hochul Dipso
1. What Christmas tune could be about some holiday wine that’s way too bitter? “O Tannin Bomb.”
The first commercial Christmas card, produced in 1846, featured a drawing of family members happily toasting each other with glasses of wine — a shockingly decadent portrait that was immediately condemned by temperance advocates.
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2. If Santa Claus led a bunch of horses instead of reindeer, his laugh might be “Whoa whoa whoa!”
In 1836, Alabama became the first state to declare Christmas a legal holiday.
ACROSS
3. When you want the “White Christmas” crooner to tag along, what should you do? Bring Crosby.
In 1818, “Silent Night” was written by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. Legend has it that his church’s organ broke on the day before Christmas. Mohr could not imagine Christmas without music, so he sat down to write a carol that could be sung by a choir to guitar music. Later that night, the people in the little Austrian church sang “Stille Nacht” for the first time.