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This puzzle is part of the Puzzling StackExchange Advent Calendar 2021. The accepted answer to this question will be awarded a bounty worth 50 reputation.

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This is a "cryptic family reunion" puzzle. The answers to the twenty cryptic clues below all share a common theme. The definition part of each clue has been replaced with a personal name to avoid giving up the theme. The goal is to solve the clues and identify the shared theme.

1. Agustín's company, native to Southeast Asia, captured evil spirit (4,2,4)
2. Bjørn's flute is played by king (8)
3. Crisanto is inappropriately offering monetary compensation to leading figures in Kuwaiti army to oust king (8)
4. Dimitris misplaced Ms Troi's pooch (12)
5. Enrico is drawn in, by Sherpa net, to Nepal (9)
6. Ferenc crashed Alonzo's truck, striking Tesla (11)
7. Ġużepp and Ms Turner kidnapped politician by side of alley (7)
8. Heinrich and Lena lost, lost, lost article (7)
9. Ingólfur thinks "a jog?", running without shoes, primarily (8)
10. João to cause disinterest in setter touring centre of Toulouse (4-3)
11. Kevin reassembled piece after a short time (5,3)
12. Laurent and Tampa Bay ballplayer briefly seen near Hotel Arcadia sign going westwards (5,2,4)
13. Mauricio's god turned against Catholic leaders (7)
14. Oliver's father scratched side of a car making a turn (7)
15. Pedro and Luis, who made films with love (7)
16. Sebastião's about to become local after retirement in Canada (8)
17. Volodymyr is partially Yakutian (5)
18. Władysław and Zack exhausted after entering America (5)
19. Yrjö is so invested in revolution – a little incredible (7)
20. Zoran's reversed current in short time (7)

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    $\begingroup$ Before anyone points it out: Yes, I know we just had one of these, sorry! It's not like we get to know what other people are going to post in advance... $\endgroup$
    – Jafe
    Commented Dec 13, 2021 at 22:26
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    $\begingroup$ That moment when Jafe takes your genre, does it infinitely better than you, and you don't even mind because the puzzle is so good... $\endgroup$
    – Jeremy Dover
    Commented Dec 13, 2021 at 22:41

1 Answer 1

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These are all

Christmas foods

and conveniently

the names give us a hint at where they are all from.

  1. Agustín's company, native to Southeast Asia, captured evil spirit (4,2,4)

COLA DE MONO from Chile: CO + LAO captured DEMON.

  1. Bjørn's flute is played by king (8)

LUTEFISK from Norway: (anag of FLUTE) + IS K.

  1. Crisanto is inappropriately offering monetary compensation to leading figures in Kuwaiti army to oust king (8)

BIBINGKA from the Philippines: BRIBING K A minus R.

  1. Dimitris misplaced Ms Troi's pooch (12)

CHRISTOPSOMO from Greece: anag of MS TROI'S POOCH

  1. Enrico is drawn in, by Sherpa net, to Nepal (9)

PANETTONE from Italy: substring

  1. Ferenc crashed Alonzo's truck, striking Tesla (11)

SZALONCUKOR from Hungary: anag of (ALONZO'S TRUCK minus T)

  1. Ġużepp and Ms Turner kidnapped politician by side of alley (7)

TIMPANA from Malta: TINA kidnapping MP, plus A

  1. Heinrich and Lena lost, lost, lost article (7)

STOLLEN from Germany: anag of (LENA LOST minus A)

  1. Ingólfur thinks "a jog?", running without shoes, primarily (8)

HANGIKJOT from Iceland: (anag of THINKS A JOG) minus S

  1. João to cause disinterest in setter touring centre of Toulouse (4-3)

BOLO-REI from Portugal: BORE I touring LO

  1. Kevin reassembled piece after a short time (5,3)

MINCE PIE from anywhere Anglophone: (anag of PIECE) after MIN

  1. Laurent and Tampa Bay ballplayer briefly seen near Hotel Arcadia sign going westwards (5,2,4)

BUCHE DE NOEL from France: BUC(caneer) + H + EDEN + (LEO backwards). Thanks to Jeremy Dover for figuring out this one; I identified the food but got hung up on an entirely incorrect way of organizing the wordplay.

  1. Mauricio's god turned against Catholic leaders (7)

HALLACA from Puerto Rico: ALLAH backwards plus CA

  1. Oliver's father scratched side of a car making a turn (7)

PAVLOVA from Australia: PA + (A VOLV(-o) backwards)

  1. Pedro and Luis, who made films with love (7)

BUNUELO from Colombia: BUNUEL + O

  1. Sebastião's about to become local after retirement in Canada (8)

RABANADA from Brazil: CANADA, after replacing C with BAR, backwards

  1. Volodymyr is partially Yakutian (5)

KUTIA from Ukraine: substring

  1. Władysław and Zack exhausted after entering America (5)

USZKA from Poland: Z(-ac)K in USA

  1. Yrjö is so invested in revolution – a little incredible (7)

ROSOLLI from Finland: SO in ROLL + I

  1. Zoran's reversed current in short time (7)

CESNICA from Serbia: (AC IN SEC) backwards

Credit where due:

I couldn't work out the wordplay for #12. Jeremy Dover could. If you like this answer, please consider going and upvoting something worthy of his.

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    $\begingroup$ Grrr...wife made me come eat dinner. Probably would've lost anyway, though. Great job! For #12, rot13(Gnzcn Onl onyycynlre oevrsyl vf OHP, Ubgry tvirf U, Nepnqvn vf RQRA, fvta tbvat jrfgjneqf vf YRB<). $\endgroup$
    – Jeremy Dover
    Commented Dec 13, 2021 at 23:44
  • $\begingroup$ D'oh! I had never heard of the rot13(Ohppnarref) and was hung up on rot13(Fnaql Yrba). Thanks! (And sorry!) $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan ♦
    Commented Dec 13, 2021 at 23:54

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