FSogol's Advent Calendar Day 16: Why does Christmas get abbreviated to Xmas?

[FSogol]

Growing up, I remember a neighborhood religious lady who always lectured us kids on the use of word Xmas. She claimed we were taking Christ out of Christmas. She also thought Deviled Eggs and Deviled Ham were a sin. I always assumed the X was for convenience much like other abbreviations.

I never got to explain to her that the the "X" in Xmas is the abbreviation that Christians have used for "Christ" for the past 2000 years, since "Xristos" is the Greek word for Christ. One may often see the Chi and Rho superimposed on each other in Christian symbols.

The symbol of a fish is sometimes used by Christians (you might see a fish sticker on a car or someone wearing a little fish badge). This comes from the time when the first Christians had to meet in secret, as the Romans wanted to kill them (before Emperor Constantine became a Christian). Jesus had said that he wanted to make his followers 'Fishers of Men', so people started to use that symbol.

When two Christians met, one person drew half a basic fish shape (often using their foot in the dust on the ground) and the other person drew the other half of the fish. The Greek word for fish is 'Ikthus' or 'Ichthys'. There are five Greek letters in the word. It can also make up a sentence of Christian beliefs 'Ie-sous Christos Theou Huios So-te-r' which in English means "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour". The second letter of these five letter is X or Christos.

So Xmas can also mean Christmas; but it should also be pronounced 'Christmas' rather than 'ex-mas'

https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/christmas_or_xmas.shtml

[lapfog_1]

1. Another theory

that I've heard is that, according to legend, Christ was "crucified" and, traditionally this is represented by the "t" shape... but in actuality the cross to which they nailed Jesus was probably the more commonly used (by Romans) X shape (being easier to stand upright while holding a person nailed to it). The "t" shape was used in places where the Romans wanted to make a show of the punishment like the Appian Way (a main road to Rome).

So... X became another shorthand for "Christ" much like the fish symbol and the "t" symbol.

[FSogol]

5. The apostle Peter, according to Church legend, was crucified

On the x shaped cross. He was placed upside down on it.

[Bucky]

8. which is pretty metal

[TlalocW]

2. You're both wrong

Jesus had an X-factor in his genes. In other words, he was a mutant whose powers ranged from bringing the dead back to life to having just a few fish and pieces of bread to having a crapton of fish and bread.

(Play 90s X-Men cartoon theme in head - Nanana na na-na...)

TlalocW

[TexasProgresive]

3. I do most of our shopping in a college town

And see kids wearing sorority and fraternity shirts. Sometimes I ask them what fraternity Jesus was in. After a moment of blank looks I say, "Chi Rho." It always get them.

[FSogol]

6. Jesus Christ, Frat Boy!

Dude, make more beer, bro!

[Cartoonist]

4. I always use Xmas

And I always pronounce it exmas. I took Jesus out of the winter solstice long ago.

[Bucky]

7. The Chi-Rho symbol literally means "no peeing"

[FSogol]

9. Or "No cocktail olives"