15-007 Bonus Merry Christmas

[Mark in Rochester]

The use of "X" as shorthand dates back to the first century. The trade language throughout the Roman Empire of the time was a simplified version of Greek called Koine' Greek. The term, "Christ" wasn't originally a proper name, it was a title, " 'o xristos," translated, "the anointed one," meaning the one annointed by God. In the first century Church the proper name was Jesus 'o Xristos. Notice that the Greek word uses the "X" or "Chi" (pronouned "key") for the sound we translittrated into the first two letters of "Christ." We also discard the male ending of the word, "os." And here is the direct connection: as the Church began to be persecuted and it became lethal to speak or write the name of Christ in public, the Church began to abbreviate the name to the first letter, "X," in order to communicate between believers and sympathetic persons with relative impunity. The use of X as an abbreviation for Christ continued after the time of persecution under Rome and is still used by the Eastern churches in their iconography.

So no, the abbreviation "Xmas" is actually just about as old as the feast of celebration of Christ's birth itself which was eventually placed in the church calendar to coincide with Winter Solstice.

I hope that helps a wee bit,

Bob

Bob

I did not see Greek scholar listed in your profile

great explanation