So the holiday season has arrived. Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is upon us. Or should I say X-mas?
This brings up a big debate. Is it appropriate to shorten Christmas to X-mas? Many religious people say "No! You are taking the Christ out of Christmas." Secular people seem to be moving away from even X-mas into things like Winter Celebration. Others simply do not care one way or the other.
However, for all those out there that are offended by X-mas, let me share a little history with you, genealogically speaking. I didn't know this either until I started looking at original documents and transcribed Latin documents from early church records, but "X" has traditionally replaced "Christ" it everything from "Christian" (Xian)to "Christopher" (Xopher or Xtopher). Since it was the church doing this, I don't think they were removing Christ from any of these things. They were simply abbreviating. In a culture where paper (or the equivalent) and ink were precious and space at a premium, abbreviations were very common. Think IM-ing or texting today where time and message length are at a premium.
The "X" also had the benefit of being the symbol of the cross as well as equivalent to or similar to the initial letter in the Greek rendering of Christ.
So the next time someone puts up a sign with "Merry X-mas" on it, especially if it is someone who doesn't always care for religion, just smile. The joke's on them.
As a genealogy hobbiest in general with a decent background in professional research, I have always been interested in the story behind people. I can't look at a name and a date without thinking about what was going on at the time, how this person may have been affected, and what could I do to find out more. I enjoy nothing more than fleshing out the story of a person. If something doesn't seem right, I pursue it until I know more.
