23A and 34A, 1A are 'timely' lines from Christmas carols. You might expect to have seen 5A, 53A and the 50D, 23A and (with a little more imagination!) 16A, 32A and 39D together on the move 34A, 1A. Nowadays at this season you are more likely to see 30A, 52A and the 12A entertaining you at various locations.

Across

1 See 34A and preamble

5 Bearer of gifts ordered single new sack (4,9)

12 Theatrical couple threatening women from convent (4,7)

13 Hallowed date never subject to change (9)

14 Receiving reduced invoice, is it reflected in capital? (7)

15 Look to dispense with treatment for strain perhaps (3-4)

16 Duke who arranged transport for Arabs (4)

18 Son tucking into a meal on board (2,3)

19 Clutching old books, toff fails to start Italian course (7)

22 Twelve indicate assent, always holding forth (7)

23 See preamble (2,3,5,2,7)

28 Detectives holding up reindeer (5)

30 Discern scattered output from eruption (7)

32 Push rudely in pub, says, coming back (5)

34, 1A See preamble (2,9,3,2,3,7)

38 Drug from plant is extracted using fingers (7)

40 Including service charge ultimately bill mounted up (7)

44 Reindeer to appear before end of night (5)

46 Man for instance taking part in church vocally (4)

47 Retro church register regularly used short poem (7)

49 Girl, Joseph's wife by name, crossing Israel's borders (7)

51 Old writer given guns as presents are received? (4-5)

52 Prohibition on recession - affected character on stage (5,6)

53 Sadly none sat and prayed for that poor man (6,7)

54 Report of fewer sailors getting treatment for shock? (4,3)

Down

1 Urban motto about biblical location (5,5)

2 One aspect of Murray's game improves (7)

3 Set off in street leading to one passage (9)

4 More breezy enthusiasm cut short? That is right (7)

5 Footballers who give nothing away? (7)

6 A short episode in part of Bible starting to develop (7)

7 State under warlord's beginning to weaken (5)

8 A few coppers from North suspect penitence, having no heart (9)

9 Hebrew priest and scribe unknown in age (4)

10 Made fast time joining rebel leader in youth (7)

11 Moves back and forth catching fish as crab moves (8)

17 Joke suitable for all ages introducing a book (6)

20 Foremost of Israelites, Sarah and Abraham's child (5)

21 Material worried female, overweight, growing up (7)

24 Sport queen's going in to see (5)

25 Fiend oddly satisfied (3)

26 Minute and hour briefly providing an example for Scrooge? (4,3)

27 The dark rider abandoning king (5)

29 Stir where Mary and Joseph were denied entry, we hear? (6)

31 Special means for cutting tall grass (5)

32 Compartment for horse (3)

33 Potential source of ideas yielding drug (7,3)

35 Judge adopting priest's plan - it has its ups and downs (6,3)

36 In a trance, strangely like God at this season (9)

37 One element of mail in awful day leads to counselling (8)

39 Everyone's gone crazy without transport in the main (7)

41 A learner say, setting upset, needing support for some maths (7)

42 Curse god of the sun, bathed in perspiration (5,2)

43 Frenetic protest not quite respectable (7)

45 Sweet-toned compere gobbling up one state benefit (7)

48 One lady converted (by Paul) (5)

50 Something to read in quiet period (4)

The senders of the first three solutions opened on 13 January will win a copy of Beautiful Churches: Saved by the Churches Conservation Trust by Matthew Byrne, kindly donated by Frances Lincoln Ltd. This beautifully illustrated book, features glorious photographic portraits and descriptions of thirty-six of the Churches Conservation Trust's most spectacular and interesting churches, of every period in all parts of England.

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Christmas Crossword
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