Christmas Crossword for Adults and Teens

Ages 12+
Hard
2 pages
Worksheet
Answer key
PDF: Letter & A4

Tip: download the PDF for Letter or A4 paper and print it at 100%. Tap "Show solution" to check, or solve it online further down this page.

Up nextSummer Christmas Crossword (New Zealand and Australia) →

A hard christmas crossword with 14 clues, for teens and adults, as a quiet puzzle on Christmas afternoon or a team game at the office party. 7 answers go across and 7 go down, on a 15×15 grid where they cross 16 times. There is no word bank: every answer comes from the clues and the letters that cross it. The PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2, or you can solve it online below.

Solve this crossword online

Tap a square or a clue and type your answer. Tap the same square again (or press Space) to switch between across and down. Your letters stay on this device.

The online grid needs JavaScript. You can still print the PDF.

Across

4. Feast on 6 January, after the twelve days of Christmas.
7. Dickens's miser who grumbles Bah! Humbug!
9. Plant from Mexico with bright red leaves at the top.
10. Old word for the Christmas season.
12. Creamy festive drink of milk, eggs, sugar and spice.
13. German fruit loaf dusted with icing sugar.
14. Spiced dough used to build a festive house.

Down

1. Good King of the carol who looked out on the Feast of Stephen.
2. Tall, domed sweet bread from Milan.
3. Green sprig with white berries hung over a doorway.
5. Town where the Nativity story is set.
6. Tchaikovsky ballet that opens at a Christmas Eve party.
8. Sweet-smelling resin the Magi brought, with gold and myrrh.
11. Shiny strands draped over the branches.

Show the answers

4 across: EPIPHANY
7 across: SCROOGE
9 across: POINSETTIA
10 across: YULETIDE
12 across: EGGNOG
13 across: STOLLEN
14 across: GINGERBREAD
1 down: WENCESLAS
2 down: PANETTONE
3 down: MISTLETOE
5 down: BETHLEHEM
6 down: NUTCRACKER
8 down: FRANKINCENSE
11 down: TINSEL

How to use this crossword

Print the PDF at 100% on A4 or US Letter paper. Page 1 is the puzzle and page 2 is the answer key.
Read a clue and count the squares that start at its number.
Write one letter in each square. Across answers go left to right; down answers go from top to bottom.
Use the letters you have to help with the answers that cross them, then check with the answer key.

Crosswords build vocabulary and spelling: every answer has to be spelled exactly right for the crossing words to fit. More for a Christmas party: Christmas party games, Christmas trivia and the Christmas word searches.

Questions about crosswords

How do you solve a crossword?

Read a clue, count the squares for its answer, and write one letter in each square. Across answers go left to right and down answers go top to bottom, starting in the square with the clue’s number. Letters you fill in for one answer help with the answers that cross it.

What age are these crosswords for?

The picture crosswords suit children from about four who know their letter sounds; the easy crosswords with a word bank suit about six to ten; the summer Christmas and New Year crosswords suit about seven to thirteen; the Christmas crossword challenge is for teens and adults.

Are the answers included?

Yes. Page 2 of every PDF is the answer key, the “Show solution” button fills in the sheet on screen, and the solve-online grid has a “Show answers” button.

More crosswords: Christmas Crossword · Christmas Picture Crossword · Summer Christmas Crossword · Winter Crossword · New Year Crossword · Valentine's Day Crossword · Lunar New Year Crossword · 100th Day of School Crossword · Groundhog Day Crossword · Presidents' Day Crossword · Animal Crossword · Animal Picture Crossword · Weather Picture Crossword

Use on your class or library site

Paste this into your school, class or library web page. It shows the picture and a link back here, so families can print it themselves. You can change the wording.

HTML code

<a href="https://colouringnest.com/crosswords/christmas-crossword-hard/"><img src="https://colouringnest.com/thumbs/crosswords-christmas-crossword-hard.png" width="320" height="414" alt="Christmas Crossword for Adults and Teens" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%;height:auto"></a>
<p>Free printable from <a href="https://colouringnest.com/crosswords/christmas-crossword-hard/">Colouring Nest</a></p>

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