Xmas (alsoX-mas) is a commonabbreviation of the wordChristmas. It is sometimes pronounced/ˈɛksməs/, butXmas, and variants such asXtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation/ˈkrɪsməs/. The 'X' comes from theGreek letterChi, which is the first letter of the Greek wordChristós (Ancient Greek:Χριστός,romanized: Khristós,lit. 'anointed, covered in oil'), which becameChrist in English.[1]The suffix-mas is from the Latin-derivedOld English word forMass.[2][3]
There is acommon misconception that the wordXmas stems from asecularizing tendency to de-emphasize the religious tradition of Christmas,[4][5] by taking the 'Christ' out of "Christmas". Nevertheless, the term's usage dates back to the 16th century, and corresponds toRoman Catholic,Eastern Orthodox,Lutheran andAnglicanliturgical use of various forms ofchi-rhomonogram.[6] In English, "X" was first used as ascribal abbreviation for "Christ" in 1100; "X'temmas" is attested in 1551, and "Xmas" in 1721.[7]
The termXmas is deprecated by some modernstyle guides, including those atThe New York Times,[8]The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage,The Times,The Guardian, and theBBC.[9]Millicent Fenwick, in the 1948Vogue's Book of Etiquette, states that Xmas' should never be used" in greeting cards.[10][11]The Cambridge Guide to Australian English Usage states that the spelling should be considered informal and restricted to contexts where concision is valued, such as headlines and greeting cards.[12]The Christian Writer's Manual of Style, while acknowledging the ancient and respectful use ofXmas in the past, states that the spelling should never be used informal writing.[13]
Early use ofXmas includes Bernard Ward'sHistory of St. Edmund's college, Old Hall (originally publishedc. 1755).[14] An earlier version,X'temmas, dates to 1551.[14] Around 1100 the term was written asXp̄es mæsse in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle.[1]Xmas is found in a letter fromGeorge Woodward in 1753.[15]Lord Byron used the term in 1811,[16] as didSamuel Coleridge (1801)[9] andLewis Carroll (1864).[16] In the United States, the fifth American edition of William Perry'sRoyal Standard English Dictionary, published in Boston in 1800, included in its list of "Explanations of Common Abbreviations, or Contraction of Words" the entry: "Xmas. Christmas."[17]Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. used the term in a letter dated 1923.[16]
Since at least the late 19th century,Xmas has been in use in various other English-language nations. Quotations with the word can be found in texts first written in Canada,[18] and the word has been used in Australia,[12] and in the Caribbean.[19]Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage stated that modern use of the term is largely limited to advertisements, headlines and banners, where its conciseness is valued. The association with commerce "has done nothing for its reputation", according to the dictionary.[16]
In the United Kingdom, the formerChurch of England Bishop ofBlackburn,Alan Chesters, recommended to his clergy that they avoid the spelling.[9] In the United States, in 1977New Hampshire GovernorMeldrim Thomson sent out a press release saying that he wanted journalists to keep the "Christ" in Christmas, and not call it Xmas—which he called a "pagan" spelling of 'Christmas'.[20]
The abbreviation of Christmas asXmas is a source of disagreement among Christians who observe the holiday.
The December 1957News and Views published by theChurch League of America, a conservative organization co-founded in 1937 by George Washington Robnett,[21] attacked the use of Xmas in an article titled "X=The Unknown Quantity". The claims were picked up later byGerald L. K. Smith, who in December 1966 claimed that Xmas was a "blasphemous omission of the name of Christ" and that "'X' is referred to as being symbolical of the unknown quantity". Smith further argued that the Jewish people had introduced Santa Claus to suppress New Testament accounts of Jesus, and that the United Nations, at the behest of "world Jewry", had "outlawed the name of Christ".[22] There is, however, a well documented history of use ofΧ (actually theGreek letterchi) as an abbreviation for "Christ"(Χριστός) and possibly also a symbol of the cross.[23][unreliable source?][24][unreliable source?] The abbreviation appears on many Orthodox Christian religious icons.
Dennis Bratcher, writing for Christian websiteThe Voice, states "there are always those who loudly decry the use of the abbreviation 'Xmas' as some kind of blasphemy against Christ and Christianity".[25] Among them are evangelistFranklin Graham and formerCNN contributorRoland S. Martin. Graham stated in an interview:
[F]or us as Christians, this is one of the most holy of the holidays, the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. And for people to take Christ out of Christmas. They're happy to say merry Xmas.[26] Let's just take Jesus out. And really, I think, a war against the name of Jesus Christ.[27]
Roland Martin likewise relates the use ofXmas to his growing concerns of increasing commercialization and secularization of one of Christianity's highest holy days.[28] Bratcher posits that those who dislike abbreviating the word are unfamiliar with a long history of Christians using X in place of "Christ" for various purposes.
The wordChrist and its compounds, includingChristmas, have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modernXmas was commonly used.Christ was often written as 'Xρ' or 'Xt'; there are references in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as 1021. This 'X' and 'P' arose as theuppercase forms of theGreek lettersχ (Ch) andρ (R) used in ancient abbreviations forΧριστος (Greek for "Christ").[1] TheChi-Rho, an amalgamation of the two Greek letters rendered as '☧' (Unicode characterU+2627 ☧CHI RHO) is a symbol often used to represent Christ inCatholic,Protestant, andOrthodox Christian Churches.[29]
TheOxford English Dictionary (OED) and theOED Supplement have cited usages ofX- orXp- for 'Christ-' as early as 1485. The termsXtian and less commonlyXpian have also been used for 'Christian'. TheOED further cites usage ofXtianity for 'Christianity' from 1634.[1] According toMerriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, most of the evidence for these words comes from "educated Englishmen who knew their Greek".[16]
In ancient Christian art,χ andχρ are abbreviations for Christ's name.[30] In many manuscripts of theNew Testament andicons, 'Χ' is an abbreviation forΧριστος,[31] as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunatesigma);[32] compare IC forJesus in Greek.
Other proper names containing the name 'Christ' besides those mentioned above are sometimes abbreviated similarly, either asX orXt, both of which have been used historically,[33] e.g.,Xtopher orXopher for 'Christopher', orXtina orXina for the name 'Christina'.[citation needed]
In the 17th and 18th centuries,Xene andExene were common spellings for the given name 'Christine'.[citation needed] The American singerChristina Aguilera has sometimes gone by the name "Xtina". Similarly,Exene Cervenka has been a noted American singer-songwriter since 1977.
This usage of 'X' to spell the syllablekris (rather than the soundsks) has extended toxtal for 'crystal', and onflorists' signs toxant for 'chrysanthemum',[34][user-generated source] even though these words are not etymologically related toChrist:crystal comes from a Greek word meaning 'ice' (and not even using the letterχ), andchrysanthemum comes from Greek words meaning 'golden flower', whileChrist comes from a Greek word meaning 'anointed'.
The usual suggestion is that 'Xmas' is [...] an attempt by the ungodly to x-out Jesus and banish religion from the holiday.
The most day I enjoy was Xmas day" — Bdos, 1985
