We all celebrated Christmas some weeks ago. Many people are used to using the word "Xmas" instead of Christmas. Today, I'll like the expansiate on the use of Christmas and Xmas.
Christmas is a Christmas celebration marked in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. it's usually celebrated on the 25th of December yearly.
Over the years, there have been an unending debate between different sections of christians over the usage of X-mas as an abbreviation to replace Christmas. while many are of the opinion that the use of X-mas is a deliberate attempt by pagans and those of other religions to remove the religious tradition from Christmas and there by commercializing it by taking the "Christ" out.
Others are of the opinion that "X" means Christ.
X comes from the greek word "chi" which is the first letter of the greek word Xpiōtóç (Christos) which is Christ in english.
Early Use Of Xmas
The early use of Xmas dates back to the 16th century.
Bernard ward, George Woodward(1957), Lord Byron(1811), Samuel Coleridge (1801) Lewis Carroll(1864), Oliver Wendell Holmes jr(1724) are all example of personalities that were involved in the earliest use of Xmas.
Since the 19th century, Xmas spread to other english speaking regions like canada, australia and the caribbean.
The Debate
In December 1957,a conversation organization; Church league of America founded in 1937 attacked the use of Xmas in an article "X=The unknown Quantity."
In 1966, Gerald L. K Smith claimed that Xmas was a " blasphemous omission of the name of christ" and that X is referred to an unknown Quantity.
In the UK, former church of England bishop of Blackburn, Alan Chesters recommended to his clergy that they avoid the spelling.
In the US, in 1977,New Hampshire governor, Meldrim Thomson sent out a press release saying that he wanted journalists to keep the "Christ" in Christmas and not call it "Xmas" which he called a pagan spelling.
However, there is a well documented history of the use of X in its greek form "chi" as an abbreviation for christ and possibly a symbol for the cross. The abbreviation appears on many orthodox christian religious icons.
Christian writer, Dennis Bratcher however contradicts the opinion of those who are against the abbreviation saying they are unfamiliar with a long history of Christmas using x in place of christ for many purposes.
According to history, the world "Christ" and it's compounds, including "Christmas" have been abbreviated in english for atleast the past 1000 years, long before the modern Xmas was commonly used. "Christ" was often written as "Xp" or "Xt",there are references in the Anglo saxon chronicle as far back as 2021.
Although there are historical facts backing the use of X in Xmas, most christians are still against it stating that X represents an unknown quantity.
There is no portion of the bible talking about this,hence the argument contines
The misconception spreads
