Xmas

X is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ - 'Xristos'. To the early Christians, most of whom spoke and wrote Greek, the word signified 'Christ's Mass'.

As the centuries passed, however, fewer and fewer people understood ancient Greek. They thought the 'X' had some pagan meaning and that the word 'Xmas' showed disrespect. Some people dislike the informality of this abbreviation and the fact that it removes the word "Christ" from the word Christmas. Others find it less objectionable. They point out that the "X"stands for the Greek letter "X" (chi), which is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ.

The occasionally felt belief that the "X" represents the cross Christ was crucified on has no basis in fact. The 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").