IS IT RIGHT TO USE XMAS INSTEAD OF CHRISTMAS It will not be out of place if I say that almost all of us are familiar with the word ‘Xmas’, and that at the sight of it, we have no problem attributing it to Christmas. Yet experience different reactions based on different reasons. But will ‘Xmas’ and ‘Christmas’ be same word with same meaning? I have seen and heard many Christians fighting head and tail, and correcting that Xmas should not be used because 1. It is taking Christ out of Christmas 2. It signifies – cancelation of Christmas 3. It is a non-religious version of “Christmas” 4. It is antichrist 5. It is X-rating Christmas Some have vehemently discouraged the use of Xmas in the Christmas Greeting Cards while some others are of the opinion that it should not be used in official and formal writings. Some people really find the word “Xmas” offensive. Its use was dated back to the middle of 1500s. Why the ‘X’? The ‘X’ in ‘Xmas’ is actually the first Greek alphabet in Χριστός (Christos) which in English translates “Christ”. The ‘X’ is a Greek letter alphabet ‘Chi’ (Ch) which has been used by many religious scholars for “Christ” since over 1000 years. Names like Christopher or Christine have been written as Xtopher and Xine respectively. Even the ‘mas’ in ‘Christmas’ is a shorten form of Mass is the liturgical worship or celebration of the Eucharist. ‘Xmas’ therefore is a shorten form of Christmas with no Christ taken out of it and with no sense of disrespect or diminishing the meaning. ‘Christmas’ (Crīstesmæsse from the Old English) is the same as ‘Xmas’. However, the proper and appropriate pronunciation of ‘Xmas’ is Christmas (ˈkrɪs.məs) NOT X-Mas (ˈeks.məs) because the ‘X’ is not an English alphabet instead Greek letter pronounced as ‘Chi’ When we become too sentimental, we read negative meaning to what actually connote no negativity. Where does the word Christmas come from? Be Blessed- courtesy Fr Egunjobi
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:29:26 +0000
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