It's Christmas Day, and it's time for another Connections puzzle from the New York Times! If you've tackled previous holiday puzzles, you know the NYT can be quite clever in subtly incorporating holiday themes.

Need a hand with today's puzzle? This guide offers hints, category-specific help, and even spoilers, without revealing the core gameplay rules.

Words in NYT Connections Puzzle #563 (December 25, 2024):

The puzzle includes: Queen, Star, Cupid, Strong, Rudolph, Sagittarius, Nanny, Comet, Vixen, Moon, Robin Hood, Shannon, Hawkeye, Fey, Jenny, and Planet.

Jenny: A Quick Definition

A "jenny" can refer to a spinning jenny (a yarn-spinning machine), a female given name, a female animal of certain species, or a slang nautical term for a type of jib sail.

Hints and Solutions:

The following sections provide hints and answers, revealed progressively using "Read More" style expansion.

General Hints:

1. Reindeer names are not a category.
2. Female first names are not a category.
3. "Shannon" and "Strong" belong in the same group.

[Read More: (This section would contain further general hints if included in the original)]

Yellow Category (Easy): Hints & Solution

Hints: Consider black holes and satellites.

[Read More: The category is Celestial Objects.]

[Read More: The words are Comet, Moon, Planet, Star.]

Green Category (Medium): Hints & Solution

Hints: Think Katniss, Artemis, Legolas.

[Read More: The category is Archers.]

[Read More: The words are Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius.]

Blue Category (Hard): Hints & Solution

Hints: Consider a doe, a hen, a molly.

[Read More: The category is Female Animals.]

[Read More: The words are Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen.]

Purple Category (Tricky): Hints & Solution

Hints: Think comedians.

[Read More: The category is SNL Cast Members.]

[Read More: The words are Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong.]

Complete Solutions:

• Yellow - Celestial Objects: Comet, Moon, Planet, Star
• Green - Archers: Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius
• Blue - Female Animals: Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen
• Purple - SNL Cast Members: Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong

Ready to play? Find the New York Times Games Connections website on your preferred device!