X-Mas?

As you know “X-Mas” has become shorthand for “Christmas.” A common question during the holiday season is whether or not “X-Mas” is an acceptable way to refer to the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

The origin of the term stems from the Greek language. In Greek, “chi” is the name of the first letter in the words “Christ,” and it looks like our English “X.” Hence, “X” is short for Christ and  “X-Mas” originally had no negative connotation.

In recent times, however, the tendency has been for "X-Mas" to be used instead of “Christmas” for two reasons: 1) so as not to offend those who are not Christians; and 2) because those who are antagonistic toward Christ do not want to acknowledge His name. Although "X-Mas" has a harmless origin, I am reluctant to use the term because many have hijacked the terminology in order to employ it in a negative way. For this reason, we would do well to keep Christ in Christmas!