Some folks get fixated on the silliest things. I can recall folks, speaking from their profound, almost impervious to reason, ignorance, condemning the formulation “Xmas” as being somehow disrespectful of Christ. *sigh* Are these same folks condemning the Chi Rho symbols so common in Lutheran and RC and other heavily tradition-oriented church use? Do these same folks become incensed at their own use of the ignorant display of a “fish symbol” on their own cars? *heh*
Sidebar: the “IXTHUS-fish” symbol was a very, very early “Chrismon”–a symbol meant to represent the Person, life and work of Jesus Christ–formed from the first (Greek) letters of the phrase, “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” In case it flew by you, “X” is the first letter in the Greek word we transliterate as “Christ.”
“Xmas” IS “Christmas” just as much as the Chi Rho (Chr–first two Greek letters of “Christos”) symbol is a long-established and respectful Chrismon for “Christ”.
So, folks, let’s put X back in Xmas, OK? At the very least, perhaps it will open doors for a conversation on just Who “X” is.
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