Good evening. In tonight’s edition:

• 🎄 'Twas the night before Chistmas
• 🧩 New puzzles
• 🎅🏻 GOAT Christmas movie characters

…and much more.

+Editor’s note: We’ll be off until January 5. Happy Holidays, and see you back here in the New Year!

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Each of the following events happened on December 23. Your challenge is to put them in the order in which they occurred by year, earliest to latest. Answers at the bottom!

• A) Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cuts off the lower part of his left ear with a razor while staying in Arles, France. He later documents the event in a painting titled Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.
• B) “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” arguably the most famous and influential Christmas poem ever, is published in New York’s Troy Sentinel newspaper by an anonymous author. Often referred to as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”, the poem would shape the modern image of Santa Claus.
• C) The experimental aircraft Voyager lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing the first nonstop flight around the globe on one load of fuel. The entire journey took nine days and four minutes.
• D) The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 in the playoffs thanks to the "Immaculate Reception" touchdown in the waning seconds of the game, in what’s widely regarded as the greatest play in NFL history.

Hint: St. Nick usually comes first thing in the morning.

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You might need a red nose to lead a magical sleigh, but it’s not necessary to finish today’s Conjoiner. Pull the sleigh across the finish line and finish the sequence by clicking below.

The first clue of today’s sequence is: “The nine pullers of Santa’s sleigh”...

Mini

Today’s mini is sliding down the chimney bringing Christmas cheer. Wipe the soot off your boots and complete the puzzle:

• Play today’s mini crossword here.

Sudoku

Take a break from tinsel and glue; this tidy grid is calling you.

• Play today's puzzle here.

Every vote builds your personal GOAT List, ranking the sequels that didn’t just live up to the original, but redefined what a sequel could be.

From darker second chapters to late-career masterpieces, these films proved that lightning can strike twice. Now they’re going head-to-head on GoatWars in the Greatest Movie Sequel of All Time league, and this debate is famously uncomfortable.

Showdowns include:

• Godfather Part II 🆚 Empire Strikes Back
• Dark Knight 🆚 Terminator 2
• Top Gun: Maverick 🆚 Toy Story 3

...and much more.

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🎅🏻 THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE CHARACTER OF ALL TIME

1. The Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)
2. George Bailey (It’s a Wonderful Life)
3. Rudolph (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)
4. Buddy the Elf (Elf)
5. Ebenezer Scrooge (Christmas Carol)

Explore the full list.

Note: Results are as of the published time; these lists are dynamic and may change.

B, A, D, C

• B) 1823 – “A Visit From St. Nicholas” is published. It isn’t until nearly 20 years later, in 1844, that American writer Clement Clarke Moore claims authorship after seeing the poem misattributed in the National Intelligencer.
• A) 1888 – Vincent van Gogh cuts off the lower part of his left ear. Although he’s now regarded as an artistic genius, it’s believed that van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime.
• D) 1972 – The Steelers win a playoff game on the “Immaculate Reception,” the best play in NFL history. Watch it here.
• C) 1986 – Voyager completes the first nonstop flight around the globe on one load of fuel. The aircraft was made mostly of plastic and stiffened paper, and carried more than three times its weight in fuel.