Have you ever wondered why ‘Xmas’ is used instead of ‘Christmas’? I have: Is it to dilute Christianity by using Xmas instead of Christmas, or rather, to convert Christmas into a secular day? Perhaps it was to promote the commercialism of the holiday season. Also, should it be pronounced “ex-mas” or “Christmas”? Prior to the weeks of Advent, it’s just the right time for me to learn about it today.
Its origin is thoroughly rooted in the heritage of the Church. It is simply another way to say Christmas, In fact, as with other abbreviations used in common speech or writing (such as Mr. or etc.), the abbreviation "Xmas" should be pronounced "Christmas" just as if the word were written out in full, rather than saying "ex-mas." (Hahaha, I always make this mistake, so dumb!!!)
The spelling of ‘Christmas’ as ‘Xmas’ actually comes from an ancient Greek practice - in the Greek language, the letter ‘x’ – shi – was the initial letter of Xristos, meaning Christ. Early scribes were busy people and parchment was costly. They often shortened words to save time and money, and that is how they came to use just the letter X.
‘Xmas’ was retained even when these practical considerations no longer applied. Not only had it become traditional, but people believed, wrongly, that the ‘X’ represented St Andrew’s cross. An even more significant reason, perhaps, was that Jesus Christ’s name was regarded as too sacred to be written in full.
Merry Xmas !
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