| INDEPENDENTS | What this puzzle celebrates--or, homophonically, what our nation is celebrating |
| EROS | Deity this puzzle celebrates, in a way |
| FORTHRIGHT | Straight to the point ... or, homophonically, what this answer is relative to this puzzle? |
| PAINTTHETOWNRED | Celebrate or apply enamel to village reactionary (5,3,4,3) |
| CLIO | Greek muse of history whose name means "celebrate"; or, the genus of a species sea butterfly (4) |
| SECONDOFTWO | Latter, or, homophonically, what 17-, 31- and 44-Across each have |
| ALL | With 69-Across, courtroom directive ... or, homophonically, what the starts of 17-, 28-, 47-and 61-Across are |
| TACOTUESDAY | What this puzzle is celebrating, judging by what's been "eaten" by the starred answers |
| CROSSTHETS | Pay attention to detail ... and, homophonically, what three pairs of puzzle answers do |
| LEANNRIMES | Winner of the 1997 Best New Artist Grammy (or homophonically, the starts of this puzzle's theme entries) |
| ONEHUNDREDTH | Anniversary that The New Yorker is celebrating in 2025 . . . or what the answers to the italicized clues in this puzzle have been multiplied by |
| FICTIONALAUNT | Mame, e.g. (and homophonically, what starts 20-, 34-, and |
| GOODBYES | Farewells ... or, homophonically and read top to bottom, what the first words of the answers to starred clues represent? |
| BUYNOTHINGDAY | Official start of the Christmas season, according to protesters ... or, homophonically, an explanati |
| HEMISPHERES | What our grid reveals in border is in this puzzle, in message added (11) |
| SEA | Our military has us covered: The U.S. Air Force flies planes through the air and the Army troops defends our nation on the ground while the Navy protects our country by ___ |
| BRITTEN | Hearing of our nation, this English composer |
| NSA | Its motto is "Defending Our Nation. Securing the Future." |
| GWB | "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings |
| WINTERLUDE | Glacial celebration in our nation's Capital Region, this year until February 18th |
