Who Invented "X"mas?

[rpellegrini]

Who invented "X"mas? Why not C'mas, instead? My guess is that it was some twisted lefty from the heyday of communism in America. Someone who thought it important to X out Christ, not simply abbreviate.

[x]

It wasn't me. It was Malcolm (Islamic plot?). And all I got was a stupid black baseball cap with an X on it. Next year Santa and the elves will be wearing it.

[BibChr]

You doubtless are right in the case of many. Maybe it's sort of a "gateway drug" for others. I say, culturally, we should stand athwart that path.

Dan
(c;

[durasell]

Never mind...



The Origins of the term 'Xmas'
The familiar abbreviation for Christmas originated with the Greeks. X is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Xristos. By the sixteenth century, "Xmas" was popular throughout Europe. Whereas early Christians had understood that the term merely was Greek for "Christ's mass," later Christians, unfamiliar with the Greek reference, mistook the X as a sign of disrespect, an attempt by heathen to rid Christmas of its central meaning. For several hundred years, Christians disapproved of the use of the term. Some still do.

From Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things by Charles Panati: Harper & Row.

[hosepipe]

[ Who Invented "X"mas? ]

Hmmmm.. Probably some non Roman Catholic that considered that Jesus HIMSELF would condemn Christmas as cheap faux "Churchianity" or worse real churchianity.. If he were to come back to observe most of the goings on during that season.

"Jesus" seemed have zero tolerance for platitudinous spiritual mouthings.. according to his actions.. AND words. Not to mention the fact that about of Dec. 25th (in his time) many worshiped Isis(Queen of heaven) and Horus her perpetual infant son.. in Egpyt and other places.. That might piss him off even more..

Theres something about Jesus "coming back" really really pissed off, that appeals to me somewhere deep within.. Can't put my finger on where(within) or why, but there is a definite "good feeling" about observing such an event.. And I don't have a religious bone in my body..

Jews and Muslims and some Blacks(remembering their ancient spear chucking days) don't seem to be real officiados of Christmas.. So it seems they invented their own gambits to defray the damage done by it(Xmas)..

Atheists however LOVE the Christmas season(despite some weak whineings).. especially the ones that own certain businesses. Go figure..

[BibChr]

Sadly, you have a point.

Dan

[safisoft]

I wonder if it has anything to do with a prohibition on fully spelling out G_d as some people do....

Deuteronomy 12:3-4.

Good answer!

It seems to have worked pretty good. Think of all the people who are constantly invoking their 'god' in outbursts of surprise or anger. The name of 'Jesus' is equally abused. When it comes to the G-d of the Bible there is no such profanity with His Name - because most ignoramouses don't know that it is spelled with four consonants. LOL.

[tiamat]

Thank you so much for posting that "xmasfun.com" web-site.

I'm going to pass it on to our 4-H kids and to my little niece, and my daughter will enjoy looking at it when she gets home from school.

[stainlessbanner]

Good one Pastor

[Protagoras]

the most respectable groups of Christians in history.

I never heard of a "respectable" group of Christians. The apostles were the first, and what a group of goofs they were. Jesus was constantly telling them how dumb they were. He was right.

But I have no problem with you celebrating or not celebrating based on what some group said you ought to do. It isn't up to me.

If you ask the holy spirit what to do, and your heart is humble, and you ask Christ to forgive you if you interpret wrongly, you will be forgiven. That's my take, and "heaven help me" if I'm wrong.

[Protagoras]

Sadly, you have a point.

See Dan? Every so often, we agree. :^}

[Protagoras]

Just a question,,,is arrogance a sin?

[OSHA]

In the times of Roman oppression the secret sign for Christians to recognize one another was the fish. A believer would draw a simple curve in the dust. If the other person was also a believer he would draw a curve in the opposite direction forming a fish. A swish of the foot and the evidence was gone. To a non-Christian the line in the dirt meant nothing.

[RightWhale]

Yes, the fish was another sign. An anagram.

[The_Reader_David]

Numerous posters have already correctly pointed out that the X in Xmas is a Greek chi, not a Latin ex, and stands for Christ (Xristos).

There really is only one other thing to add: on Orthodox icons of Christ, regardless of whether other inscriptions are in Greek, Slavonic, Arabic, Aleut, English, Japanese or any other language, Christ is always identified with the Greek inscription IC XC abbreviating Jesus Christ (Iesus Xristos), the C's being final sigmas in an old Greek script, placed in the background near Our Lord's head, and by the letters
omicron, omega, nu, in the numbus around his head (a Greek version of I AM--the name God gave for Himself to Moses).

[Aquinasfan]

See what comes of taking Christmas out of the public schools? That's where I learned the "chi" thing, way back in the Sixties.

That's pretty good. Back in the late '60s we sang Christmas Carols, but nothing explicitly religious. They also threw in the token "Hanukah" song. Remember the dradle song?

Dradle, dradle, dradle/
I made it out of clay/
and when it's dry and ready/
I'll play with it all day.

It's amazing more of us didn't blow our brains out. Sheesh.

[Aquinasfan]

She was also the first that explained Islam, Muslims and conversion by the sword. She pointed out (in 1948) that that sword on the Saudi flag represents the sword of Muhammad and a reminder of the continuing expansion of Islam by whatever means necessary.

Bring back the old-time nuns --please!

[stinkerpot65]

Reminds me of the black comedian who claimed that olives were a racist conspiracy because black olives came in a cheap can while green olives came in a glass jar.

[Verginius Rufus]

The x-shaped cross is St. Andrew's cross...according to legend he was crucified on a cross of that shape.

[Labyrinthos]

LOL, but why do black olives come in cans? Does it have something to do with the effect of light upon the olives?

[Verginius Rufus]

The Greek word for fish is "ichthys" (as in ichthyosaur). The early Christians used it to stand for Iesous Christos Theou Hyios Soter (I-Ch-Th-Y-S, since the "h" in hyios, son, is not a separate letter but a "breathing" mark over the upsilon) = Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.