How did Christmas become Xmas?

How did Christmas become Xmas?

In the Greek alphabet, X is the symbol for the letter ‘chi. In the early days of the Christian church, Christians used the letter X as a secret symbol to indicate their membership in the church to others. If you know the Greek meaning of X, Xmas and Christmas essentially mean the same thing: Christ + mas = Christmas.

When was the term Xmas started?

But, the history of the word Xmas is actually more respectable—and fascinating—than you might suspect. First of all, the abbreviation predates (by centuries) its use in gaudy advertisements. It was first used in the mid-1500s. X represents the Greek letter chi, the initial letter in the word Χριστός (Chrīstos).

Is Xmas a pagan holiday?

Though December 25 is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the date itself and several of the customs we’ve come to associate with Christmas actually evolved from pagan traditions celebrating the winter solstice. “In ancient Rome there was a feast called Saturnalia that celebrated the solstice.

Is it wrong to say Xmas?

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Christmas is also known on paper as XMAS. But some people just don’t agree with the spelling of the holiday. They believe it takes the Christ out of Christmas, saying it’s a modern and disrespectful abbreviation that focuses on the commercialization of this Christian holiday.

Is it wrong to say Xmas instead of Christmas?

The idea is always the same: let’s not rub out the religious roots of this holiday by saying “Xmas,” instead of Christmas. For us as Christians, [Christmas] 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.

Why we should not use Xmas instead of Christmas?

It’s understandable why some may feel that “Xmas” looks like it’s erasing the true meaning of the holiday for Christians. But blaming the secularization of a religious holiday on a tiny, centuries-old abbreviation reflects a misunderstanding of history and language.

Does the Bible mention Christmas?

Christmas Is Not Supported By Scripture One of the first things you will notice when studying Scripture is that the word “Christmas” is not mentioned in any verse, chapter, or book of the Bible. None of Jesus’ disciples, nor any of His apostles attempted to celebrate the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior.

Is Xmas biblical?

Christmas Is Not Supported By Scripture None of Jesus’ disciples, nor any of His apostles attempted to celebrate the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior. The celebration of Christmas was not celebrated by the early Church either. But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas” (Halff, 1).

When did the church start celebrating Christmas?

The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman Emperor). A few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December.

When did Americans start celebrating Christmas?

During Reformation and up until the middle of the 1800s, Christmas was often not celebrated because partying and merry making was seen as unchristian. From about 1840, celebrating Christmas became more widespread. December 25 was declared a federal holiday in the United States in 1870.

When does Christmas season actually begin?

From Wikipedia: The Christmas season immediately follows Advent. The traditional Twelve Days of Christmas begin with Christmas Eve on the evening of December 24 and continue until the feast of Epiphany.