Cryptic Christmas Crossword Clues Quiz

Answer: Caspar

One of the Three Wise Men was Caspar (sometimes called Gaspar), which sounds like Casper (the Friendly Ghost) of cartoon and comic book fame.

The Bible does not identify the Three Wise Men; in fact, it does not specify that there were three of them. The only Gospel that mentions them is Matthew which simply refers to them as "magi from the east" (Matt. 2:1-12). It is tradition that there were three, presumably because they brought three gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Tradition has also bestowed upon them the names Casper, Melchior and Balthazar. They are variously referred to as magi, kings, wise men, and astrologers.

Answer: Melchior

Another of the Three Wise Men was Melchior. The answer lies in two anagrams - elm (scrambled) is Mel, while choir (confused) is chior. Mel + chior = Melchior.

Answer: Elf

This clue contains three indicators that the answer is elf.

The phrase "in itself" indicates that the clue is a "container" clue; that is, the answer, elf, is contained in the word "itself". The elf is both ON the shelf, as well as the word elf being contained IN the word shelf.

A small figure also indicates an elf. The Oxford dictionary defines an elf as "a supernatural creature of folk tales, typically represented as a small figure".

"The elf on the shelf" phenomenon is a modern Christmas tradition. It dates from 2005 with the publication of a children's book, "The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition", by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, and is based on one of their family's Christmas traditions.

Answer: noel

This clue contains three indicators that the answer is noel. Leon comes back indicates a reverse clue - Leon spelled in reverse is Noel. Noel is the French word for Christmas. If the answer is without the 12th letter of the alphabet, there's no L ("no L" sounds like noel).

Answer: manger

This clue contains three indicators that the answer is manger. Trough is another word for manger. Manger is an anagram of German, which is indicated by the word garbled preceding it. And a manger was the bed of the infant Jesus, who was the "Yuletide newborn".

Answer: mistletoe

A rocket is a type of missile, and a lower digit is a toe. Therefore, the clue can be read as "Christmas plant sounds like a rocket's (missile) lower digit (toe)", i.e. sounds like missile-toe or mistletoe. Mistletoe is a Christmas plant.

Answer: tinsel

The word strangely indicates an anagram follows, silent is an anagram of tinsel, and tinsel is a trimming found on a Christmas tree.

Tinsel was invented in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1610. It was originally made of shredded silver and meant to imitate icicles on the tree. The word tinsel is derived from an Old French word meaning "sparkle".

Answer: decorations

The word changed indicates that an anagram follows; coordinates is an anagram of decorations. Christmas ornaments are decorations.

Answer: Good King Wenceslas

A beneficent monarch is a good king and "sews clean" is an anagram (indicated by the word confused) of Wenceslas. Put it all together and you get Good King Wenceslas. An alternative spelling is Wenceslaus. However, as there is no "u" in the clue, this cannot be right for the answer.

"Good King Wenceslas" is a Christmas carol, written in 1853, and was based on a legend relating to Saint Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia (907-935).

Answer: Mary

Disarrayed indicates an anagram; the letters in army may be rearranged into the name Mary, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the original Christmas (Yuletide) mother.