London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

GCHQ sends out brainteaser Christmas card - can you solve the festive puzzles?

GCHQ sends out brainteaser Christmas card - can you solve the festive puzzles?

The card contains seven "fiendish" puzzles specifically designed for secondary school pupils aged 11 to 18 to solve, but everyone is being encouraged to take on the challenge.

GCHQ has revealed this year's official Christmas card from its director Sir Jeremy Fleming - containing a brainteaser aimed at aspiring young spies.

The card contains seven "fiendish" puzzles specifically designed for secondary school pupils aged 11 to 18 to solve, but everyone is being encouraged to take on the challenge.

Sir Jeremy's Christmas card, which includes a festive brainteaser every year, is traditionally sent to national security staff and partners across the world who work alongside the intelligence and security organisation every day to combat organised crime gangs, terror groups and hostile states attempting to do harm to the UK.

But this year, the puzzles have been created for youngsters to tackle over the holidays.

This year's GCHQ Christmas card containing a brainteaser of seven 'fiendish' puzzles


This year's card sets a not-so-secret mission through a set of puzzles that increase in difficulty as you move through the challenge.

In a statement, Sir Jeremy said that "problem-solving skills and teamwork are absolutely crucial" in keeping the country safe.

He added: "That's why this year's Christmas puzzles are aimed at young people. I am keen to encourage STEM skills, thinking differently, and help foster the next generation of talent.

"I want to show young people that thinking differently is a gift, and it is only with a mix of minds that they can solve seemingly impossible problems, just like we do at GCHQ."

Sir Jeremy also recorded a special good luck message for schools.


In recent years, GCHQ has partnered with the organisation Stemettes on several activities to support greater take up of STEM subjects - Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics - particularly among young girls.

Supporting this year's Christmas card challenge, the chief executive of Stemettes, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, said: "No matter your age, STEM skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving are important skills to have.

"In my work across the Stemettes with partners like GCHQ, we want all kinds of people to have the chance to explore these skills, and for those that enjoy this type of challenge to get an opportunity to further themselves in these areas."

She added: "GCHQ's Christmas Challenge is a fun festive way to do this, and I'd encourage schools and those who work with children to explore this type of activity as another way to engage the next generation in some light-hearted STEM fun."

Download GCHQ's Christmas card here.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×