Get Rid Of X-mas!

[husker 0]

Sorry if this title scared you, I don't mean get rid of Christmas, but it seems like it would attract people. If you don't celebrate Christmas, please don't argue here about it.

 

Anyways, I wish the phrase x-mas could disappear! I want to get rid of it! I hope I don't offend anyone who says it(like SM ). The phrase seems so cruel. What you are doing is taking out the word Christ which Christmas is all about and replacing it with an X. What is that supposed to mean? We are to lazy to write out the real reason for Christmas? Instead we'd rather X it out? This seems to describe it all. Sorry if I seem like a hater here. Does anyone else feel this way?

Edited December 12, 2006 by husker (see edit history)

[BordaForx 0]

I completely agree with you! I was raised Baptist so my views might be a little biased. No, not a little, a lot. From what I was told, X-mas was made so it would cross out "Christ". When I was younger and said it, all the teachers would get so mad at me. Basically, I was taught to avoid saying it.

 

Nowadays, I think people say it because you know how the modern world is. People want to avoid Christianity and remain "secular". I think it's wrong and if you're going to celebrate a Christian holiday, you should say it correctly.

Edited July 8, 2007 by BordaForx (see edit history)

[truefusion 3]

In common speech, and in areas where you can actually fit the whole word, "Christmas", i would agree with you. However, if i hadn't run into trouble with small gift cards , i would have fully agreed with you. The small gift cards forced me to write "X-mas", although i wanted to write the whole word.

[quakesand 0]

Hey, I never thought of this...Maybe I'm just not alert enough...@BordaForxoh...@truefusionlol

[Kubi 0]

I don't understand the whole big deal about "Merry Christmas" being "politicaly incorrect".

 

Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, Christian, and the others, celebrate Christmas. Not forgetting Kwanza.

 

If I'm going to wish someone "Happy Holidays", I'm just ganna say "merry christmas", if they don't like it, do what everyone else does when they hear something they don't like, blame bush be quiet and walk away.

 

I'm not christian, I'm methodist, I celebrate Christmas, I'm not ganna wish someone "Happy Holidays" because it's how it's supposed to be said. If I worked at a store, and they told me to say Happy Holidays, I wouldn't. I'd get complains, and then find a better job. Keep it how it's supposed to be.

 

Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Even if you say that....

 

X-mas, is just lazy. Lets get rid of Christ, it's only his birthday.

[Saint_Michael 3]

Well since my name did get mention although I wonder why?

 

But anyway my question is whats the big deal so some people say x-mas instead of Christmas. Is the word so offending that people would go to war bush.?

 

I am not saying you would do BF (maybe) but would you want schools to get rid the school x-mas play as well since it's mixing religion with school? Prayer got thrown out might as well finish it off.

 

X-mas is a store thing to begin with, people just caught on thats all.

 

Plus I can say Christmas's too..ready..CHRISTMAS

 

To me I don't see it as a big deal, instead of fighting over the meaning of the word how how about doing what the Christmas stands for besides giving me presents and that is giving to other less unfortunate then you.

[bunlytek 0]

This article is about the spelling "Xmas", used as an abbreviation for "Christmas". For the holiday itself, see Christmas. For the Italian frogman unit abbreviated "XŞ MAS", see Decima Flottiglia MAS.

"Xmas" and "X-mas" are common abbreviations of the word "Christmas". They are sometimes pronounced "eksmas", but they, and variants such as "Xtemass", originated as handwriting abbreviations for the pronunciation "Christmas". The "-mas" part came from the Anglo-Saxon for "festival", "religious event": Crīstesmćsse or Crīstemćsse. This abbreviation is widely but not universally accepted; some view it as demeaning to Christ, whilst others find it a helpful abbreviation. This 1922 Ladies' Home Journal advertisement uses "Xmas".

This 1922 Ladies' Home Journal advertisement uses "Xmas". The word "Christ" and its compounds, including "Christmas", have been abbreviated for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used. "Christ" was often written as "XP" or "Xt"; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as 1021 AD. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ and ρ), used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for "Christ") (see Labarum), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. Some people believe that the term is part of an effort to "take Christ out of Christmas" or to literally "cross out Christ";[citation needed] it is also seen as evidence of the secularization of Christmas or a vehicle for pushing political correctness, or as a symptom of the commercialization of the holiday.

 

This article is about the spelling "Xmas", used as an abbreviation for "Christmas". For the holiday itself, see Christmas. For the Italian frogman unit abbreviated "XŞ MAS", see Decima Flottiglia MAS.

"Xmas" and "X-mas" are common abbreviations of the word "Christmas". They are sometimes pronounced "eksmas", but they, and variants such as "Xtemass", originated as handwriting abbreviations for the pronunciation "Christmas". The "-mas" part came from the Anglo-Saxon for "festival", "religious event": Crīstesmćsse or Crīstemćsse. This abbreviation is widely but not universally accepted; some view it as demeaning to Christ, whilst others find it a helpful abbreviation. This 1922 Ladies' Home Journal advertisement uses "Xmas".

This 1922 Ladies' Home Journal advertisement uses "Xmas". The word "Christ" and its compounds, including "Christmas", have been abbreviated for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used. "Christ" was often written as "XP" or "Xt"; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as 1021 AD. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ and ρ), used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for "Christ") (see Labarum), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. Some people believe that the term is part of an effort to "take Christ out of Christmas" or to literally "cross out Christ";[citation needed] it is also seen as evidence of the secularization of Christmas or a vehicle for pushing political correctness, or as a symptom of the commercialization of the holiday.

The occasionally felt belief that the "X" represents the cross Christ was crucified on has no basis in fact; regardless, St Andrew's Cross is X-shaped, but Christ's cross was probably shaped like a T or a . Indeed, X-as-chi was associated with Christ long before X-as-cross could be, since the cross as a Christian symbol developed later. (The Greek letter Chi Χ stood for "Christ" in the ancient Greek acrostic ΙΧΘΥΣ ichthys.) While some see the spelling of Christmas as Xmas a threat, others see it as a way to honor the martyrs. The use of X as an abbreviation for "cross" in modern abbreviated writing (e.g. "Kings X" for "Kings Cross") may have reinforced this assumption.

 

In ancient Christian art χ and χρ are abbreviations for Christ's name. In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, X is an abbreviation for Christos, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek. The Oxford English Dictionary documents the use of this abbreviation back to 1551, 50 years before the first English colonists came to North America and 60 years before the King James Version of the Bible was completed. At the same time, Xian and Xianity were in frequent use as abbreviations of "Christian" and "Christianity"; and nowadays still are sometimes so used, but much less than "Xmas". The proper names containing the name "Christ" other than aforementioned are rarely abbreviated in this way (e.g. Hayden Xensen for the actor name "Hayden Christensen"). Pop artist Christina Aguilera is known to spell her first name as 'Xtina'.

 

This apparent usage of "X" to spell the syllable "kris" (rather than the sounds "ks") has extended to "xtal" for "crystal", and on florists' signs "xant" for "chrysanthemum"[citation needed. Though these words are not etymologically related to "Christ"; "crystal" comes from a Greek word meaning "ice", and "chrysanthemum" from Greek words meaning "golden flower", while "Christ" comes from a Greek word meaning "anointed".

 

The occasionally felt belief that the "X" represents the cross Christ was crucified on has no basis in fact; regardless, St Andrew's Cross is X-shaped, but Christ's cross was probably shaped like a T or a . Indeed, X-as-chi was associated with Christ long before X-as-cross could be, since the cross as a Christian symbol developed later. (The Greek letter Chi Χ stood for "Christ" in the ancient Greek acrostic ΙΧΘΥΣ ichthys.) While some see the spelling of Christmas as Xmas a threat, others see it as a way to honor the martyrs. The use of X as an abbreviation for "cross" in modern abbreviated writing (e.g. "Kings X" for "Kings Cross") may have reinforced this assumption.

 

In ancient Christian art χ and χρ are abbreviations for Christ's name. In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, X is an abbreviation for Christos, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek. The Oxford English Dictionary documents the use of this abbreviation back to 1551, 50 years before the first English colonists came to North America and 60 years before the King James Version of the Bible was completed. At the same time, Xian and Xianity were in frequent use as abbreviations of "Christian" and "Christianity"; and nowadays still are sometimes so used, but much less than "Xmas". The proper names containing the name "Christ" other than aforementioned are rarely abbreviated in this way (e.g. Hayden Xensen for the actor name "Hayden Christensen"). Pop artist Christina Aguilera is known to spell her first name as 'Xtina'.

 

This apparent usage of "X" to spell the syllable "kris" (rather than the sounds "ks") has extended to "xtal" for "crystal", and on florists' signs "xant" for "chrysanthemum"[citation needed. Though these words are not etymologically related to "Christ"; "crystal" comes from a Greek word meaning "ice", and "chrysanthemum" from Greek words meaning "golden flower", while "Christ" comes from a Greek word meaning "anointed".

Notice from Avalon:

Post copied in part from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas Quote tags must be used when copying text from another source. Warning issued

[brainless 0]

husker: Did you actually read and understand the article you pointed at?many of the other people who posted here: Read and understand the first line in this post :lol:I wonder what would happen if you asked people on the street about the origin of Xmas? And what would people's reaction be when they are told?

[Yacoby 0]

I always though that x-mas originated from when Christmas was to big to fit. Christmas in my opinion is no longer a religious festival, it is a commercial festival, and saying x-mas just seems to make it even more commercial. This may be due to the fact that shops mainly seem to use x-mas (at least where I live).

Edited December 12, 2006 by Yacoby (see edit history)

[bhavesh 0]

I also agree with husker. Earlier I have thought that this X has came from the holy cross. But now I have discovered its new meaning which is more relevant. Its sad to see lazy people who have deformed the meaning of Christmas. X resembles the danger sign and its very bad to make connection between the bad and the good.

Edited December 12, 2006 by bhavesh (see edit history)

[Teri Luketic 0]

Christmas was something Christians started celebrating and adapted to help convert various groups to their religion, kind of like some of the other holidays and such ideals. Jesus was given to us as a gift from God, which is where I can understand our gift giving. And the whole Santa Clause thing is something that came about as a story with it all. (Might be a side-tracked statement).I do have to say, if you're in a hurry X-mas is understandable, and that's the same with shortage of space. I don't like it personally, because there are people who don't think of Christ when they think of Christmas. From my point of view though, I don't usually see 'X'mas" out there unless it seems like it was a shortage of space or time when they were writing it. And people don't really say it verbally like that either. I do agree with you in a sense though, the way of writing it like that does kind of dodge the whole point.

[electriic ink 1]

The idea of giving comes from the three gifts the Wise Men brought Jesus (frankincense, gold and myrrh).

 

Now to answer all your assumptions about the origin of Xmas (why do you all hyphenate between the X and M?) Anyway, according to the Cassell Dictionary Of Word Histories:

 

Abbreviation of CHRISTMAS from X (see Xian) + -mas

Meaning and origin of Xian from the same book:

 

Christian. Abbreviation of Christian, with X for the Greek letter CHI, transliterated as KH, as the first letter of Greek Khristos Christ.

It is therefore perfectly acceptable: it does have some origin relating to Christ. As with all words, it's just been muddled around a bit and if you think that's wrong, I challenge you to speak and write the Old English Chīst instead of Christ without getting any strange looks

 

Besides, it's a great time saver.

[cangor 0]

Wow, husker, I really thought you were some holiday-bashing misanthrope by the title. Anyways, I agree, it's kinda dumb. BordaForx is definately right, though, they came up with the X to get rid of "Christ." Which is dumb. It's a christian holiday, after all!

[Matrixdudej 0]

well lots of people celebrate christmas and dont bielieve in christ so maybe the x-mas was meant to cross out christ but i dont really think it makes that big of a deal if people want to say x-mas let them,if they want to say christmas let them this is my point of view

[bhavesh 0]

i dont really think it makes that big of a deal if people want to say x-mas let them,if they want to say christmas let them this is my point of view

Its not the problem, every body has the right to say anything. But we should know the origin of x-mas and from this discussion I have understand its origin.