_{This puzzle is part of the Puzzling Stack Exchange Advent Calendar 2023. The accepted answer to this question will be awarded a bounty worth 50 reputation.}

Next Door >

This crossword features all of Santa’s nine reindeer. Unfortunately, whoever made the clues simply wrote the word “reindeer” instead of the actual names of the individuals in question, so we don’t know which reindeer goes with which clue. Can you find the correct place for each name and solve the crossword?

BLITZEN
COMET
CUPID
DANCER
DASHER
DONNER
PRANCER
RUDOLPH
VIXEN

Solve on Penpa+

Across
1. Entertainment arenas showing constant disregard for reindeer’s mother (5)
4. Company among the very top has caught reindeer (7)
8. A part of flight ending in catastrophe for reindeer (7)
9. Reindeer of the 1930s – losing his head, he played with snow (5)
10. Doctor endorsed being like reindeer (3-5)
12. Banning every other woman (3)
15. Mysterious military action by Brussels? Assessment retracted (6)
18. Dad and son working as extras (3-3)
19. The foremost of basketballers in North America? (3, abbr.)
20. A little text in Thai, a different language (8)
25. Something to wear to the beach as resort’s closing on western half of island in the South China Sea (5)
26. Reindeer bit bullock in a lift off (7)
27. Reindeer lander lifted off near dry area (7)
28. Recognise the #1 among entertainers in the medium? (5)

Down
1. Time to commemorate end of fighting syphilis, perhaps over one year (1-3)
2. Mineral / vitamin water enthusiast: “I win! Bottoms up!” (5)
3. One to inherit minted coins? (5)
4. Its freedom was guaranteed by the Constitution before severely freedom-restricting organization formed in 1925 (5)
5. Escaped Australian’s crop died horribly (7)
6. Herb and Oscar, ass up (7)
7. Somewhere in the Aegean Sea, small green light pointed towards the sky (3)
11. Real fanatic’s cry as stars have nothing brought forth (3)
13. Reindeer constructor is endlessly nosy? (4, abbr.)
14. Nitwit not given real location of reindeer (4)
16. Ones with roots in Africa: “US healthcare reform is on tilt, with no end in sight!” (7)
17. Anxious to be active and friendly (7)
18. The Greatest Showman, recipient of two Academy awards (3)
21. Brush off awards netting Nicholson role (5)
22. State government’s avenue of income evenly mixed? (5)
23. Company’s learning program includes revolutionary laboratory subject (5)
24. Indecent animated series not shown in its entirety (4)
25. Hero in The Dark World getting no help, opening portal to a dark world? (3)