Xmas - just FYI

[Guest guest]

Hi Jena,

I usually just lurk on this list, but when I saw your comment about getting

upset by the abbreviation “Xmasâ€, I just had to chime in to try to clear up

a common misunderstanding. Using X isn’t taking Christ’s name out of

Christmas at all. Here’s a little more to explain…

In Anglo-Saxon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxons> times, Christmas was

referred to as geol[3]

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#_note-CathChrit#_note-CathChrit> , from

which the current English word 'Yule' is derived. The word " Christmas " is a

contraction meaning " Christ's <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ> mass

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_%28liturgy%29> . " It is derived from the

Middle English <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English> Christemasse and

Old English <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English_language> Cristes mæsse,

a phrase first recorded in 1038.[3]

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#_note-CathChrit#_note-CathChrit> Dutch

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_language> has a similar word, Kerstmis

often shortened to Kerst. The words for the holiday in Spanish

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language> (navidad), Portuguese

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_language> (natal), French

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language> (noël), Italian

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language> (natale), and Catalan

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalan_language> (nadal) refer more explicitly

to the Nativity. In contrast, the German name Weihnachten means simply " hallowed

night. "

Christmas is sometimes shortened to Xmas <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas> ,

an abbreviation that has a long history.[4]

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#_note-Bratcher#_note-Bratcher> In early

Greek versions of the New <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament>

Testament, the letter <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_%28letter%29> Χ (chi),

is the first letter of Christ (ΧÏιστός). Since the mid-sixteenth century

Χ, or the similar Roman <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_alphabet> letter X

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X> , was used as an abbreviation for Christ.[5]

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#_note-2#_note-2>

This was taken from this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

which can give you a lot more information about the background of Christmas.

And with that I want to wish you and other members of this group a peaceful

holiday filled with goodwill towards fellow men regardless of what they do or

don’t celebrate.

God Bless!

Marti

Re: Merry Christmas!

Beautiful email . you are very right few people even think about Christ

birth anymore. it urps me to see someone write Xmas. Can't stand that. it is

clearly taking Christ out of Christmas.

Hoping you have a very Merry Christmas with as low of pain levels possible.

Jena

~:~Jena~:~

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