DAVID SEDARIS, HOLIDAYS ON ICE — Christmas Eve... was a day of nonstop action... . It was the rowdiest crowd I have ever seen, and we were short on elves... . It was us against them. ... My Santa and I had them on the lap, off the lap in forty-five seconds flat.
| A. | Offer as a gift | DONATE |
| B. | After a seeming eternity (2 wds.) | ATLAST |
| C. | Sugarcoat; superficiality | VARNISH |
| D. | Garlanded with green plants | IVIED |
| E. | Consequence of malfunctioning machinery | DOWNTIME |
| F. | Tasmania, Chihuahua, Punjab and others | STATES |
| G. | Lifestyle magazine first published in 1970 | ESSENCE |
| H. | Nymph chased by Apollo and turned into a tree | DAPHNE |
| I. | Overflowing, inundated | AWASH |
| J. | Like an angel's halo or a light display | RADIANT |
| K. | Tagging along behind (2 wds.) | INTOW |
| L. | "I break for ___ pie" (official Pennsylvania bumper sticker) | SHOOFLY |
| M. | Oddjob, to Goldfinger | HENCHMAN |
| N. | Supervised, had charge of | OVERSAW |
| O. | Religious service held in December celebrating fellowship and charity (2 wds.) | LOVEFEAST |
| P. | Listing in a shopping list | ITEM |
| Q. | Dancer's partner | DASHER |
| R. | Lingering effect from Krakatoa depicted in Munch's "The Scream" | AFTERGLOW |
| S. | Red-berried evergreens with wood suitable for bow-making | YEWS |
| T. | Like some evergreens, to extend their freshness or reduce their risk of catching fire | SPRAYED |
| U. | Costume, rig | OUTFIT |
| V. | "Easy!" (2 wds.) | NOSWEAT |
| W. | Humbug | IMPOSTOR |
| X. | Songbird that often flocks with bramblings | CHAFFINCH |
| Y. | Something to mark on a calendar | EVENT |