Xmas or Christmas?

     It's not simply the holiday season, but the colloquial "X-MAS" which has been singled out as one example of how the holiday has become commercialized and robbed of its religious content.  The "X" in "Xmas" is actually the descendent of the Greek language equivalent of "Ch" as in "Christos" which means "Christ."  The letter "X" has stood for Christ since at least A.D. 1100, and the term "Xmas" was first used in the year A.D. 1551.  Greek language expert Eric Partridge points out that the abbreviation for Christianity is "Xianity."
     Many people dislike "Xmas" for any usage because of its supposed crassness.  The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage offers this simple recommendation for when "Xmas" is acceptable:  "Never use."

(information taken from Mini Moments for Christmas
by Robert Strand)

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