Apt phrase spelled out by the first letters of the answers to the starred clues (9,3)

I believe the answer is:

christmas eve

(Other definitions for christmas eve that I've seen before include "Time to hang up stockings" , "Twenty fourth of December" , "Seventeen days ago" , "December 24th" , "today" .)

I've seen this clue in the King Feature Syndicate.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.