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Certainly went with quite a bang here - I think this is one of the best festive offerings I've ever seen (far better than the real thing, in fact}.
Thanks - and Merry Christmas!

I quite agree, drxx. The combination of a jigsaw with unknown cells containing two letters and two answers of unknown length certainly ratcheted up the difficulty of filling the grid. A first-class puzzle, for which much thanks

That was fun.

Grid completed and the "final prize" seen as a result (I think). What relevance - if any - is there to colouring the column to the left of it though?

To create something festive to wear (it always features in the thematic object).

...have you read down the 2nd line of the double-letter cells?

That provides the final prize. But what is the significance of "the column to the left"?

It would need the inner column to be functional - otherwise it would fall apart.

I have that final prize from the cells with double letters, drxx, but can see no reason why the column to the left of them should also be coloured.

Thank you drxx; your last post resolves my issue.