X X Mum

X X X Raincoat

X X X X Swindle

X X X X X Minerals

X X X X X X Gum resin

X X X X X X X Bad actor!

X X X X X X X X Painting movements

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Quite bright

X X X X X X X Gold coin

X X X X X X Pleasures

X X X X X Garment

X X X X Rouse

X X X Pose

X X Units

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X X 13 mile

X X X Garland

X X X X Deceives

X X X X X Step

X X X X X X Chosen ones

X X X X X X X Star

X X X X X X X X Zeolite

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Most variegated

X X X X X X X Understatement

X X X X X X Headings

X X X X X Prop

X X X X Catalogue

X X X Ignited

X X Italian vermouth!

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CHRISTMAS TEASE

1 Below are 2 sets of 2 Xmas trees . Each clue leads to an answer containing the number of letters equivalent to the number of Xs adjacent.

Each answer is an anagram of the previous answer plus an extra letter, ultimately leading to a 9-letter word at the base of the trees. From there the answers are anagrams of the previous answer minus a letter. See if you can find all 30 answers:

2 Find the correct synonym for the first word then add or subtract the letters given to find anagrams of some Xmas related themes:

Froth - L + W (6);

Riding boots - J + L (7);

Answer - O + T (8);

Buried - T + E (8); Purifies + W (9);

Raisins + A + C (5, 5)

3 Holy Smoke

Which festival, also known as Holy Innocents’ Day, takes place on 28 December?

pound;40 book token for the first correct answers to be opened on Tuesday, January 4. Send to wordgames@tes.co.uk

or Wordgames, TES, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX.

Last week’s answers:

1 Uranium, Lanthanum, Einsteinium, Europium, Krypton, Manganese,Rubidium, Beryllium, Iodine.

Initial letters U, L, E, E, K, M, R, B, I give Berkelium!

2 Increase - E = Arsenic; Cranium + F = Francium; Clo(t)hier + N = Chlorine; Ignor(a)nt + E = Nitrogen; Assumption - N = Potassium; G(y)mnasium + E = Magnesium;

3 Praseodymium and Seaborgium!!

Winner: Jill Harrison of Du Maurier Close, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire