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Posted: 12.23.2002
Putting the X back in Xmas
This entry reminded me...from Snopes.com (and the history major in me):


Claim: 'Xmas' is a modern, disrespectful abbreviation of the word 'Christmas.'

Status: False.

Origins: The abbreviation of 'Xmas' for 'Christmas' is neither modern nor disrespectful. The notion that it is a new and vulgar representation of the word 'Christmas' seems to stem from the erroneous belief that the letter 'X' is used to stand for the word 'Christ' because of its resemblance to a cross, or that the abbreviation was deliberately concocted "to take the 'Christ' out of Christmas." Actually, this usage is nearly as old as Christianity itself, and its origins lie in the fact that the first letter in the Greek word for 'Christ' is 'chi,' and the Greek letter 'chi' is represented by a symbol similar to the letter 'X' in the modern Roman alphabet. Hence 'Xmas' is indeed perfectly legitimate abbreviation for the word 'Christmas' (just as 'Xian' is also sometimes used as an abbreviation of the word 'Christian').

None of this means that Christians (and others) aren't justified in feeling slighted when people write 'Xmas' rather than 'Christmas,' but the point is that the abbreviation was not created specifically for the purpose of demeaning Christ, Christians, Christianity, or Christmas -- it's a very old artifact of a very different language. (Read more at Snopes.com.)



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dude, I need to bitchslap my mom one for getting on my ass about writing Xmas instead of Christmas. The woman is barely Catholic, and doesn't set foot in a church unless she's going to a wedding or funeral. She's telling me that I'm being disrespectful?? Pshawww. At least I practice what I believe.

¤ ¤ credit: statia | 12.24.02 at 03:38 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

Thanks for posting that - I knew I'd read about that in history classes, but didn't remember exactly why. I should print that for my mom because like Statia's, mine's always been on us when we write xmas. Silly moms!!

Hey dude, your comment boxes are all together in Mozilla now!!! :)

¤ ¤ credit: kristine | 12.24.02 at 06:11 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

It's good to be a history major.. :) Merry Christmas everyone!

¤ ¤ credit: Jason | 12.25.02 at 03:04 AM | link--this ¤ ¤




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