What Does the X Stand for in Xmas?
Every December there's criticism about the abbreviation "Xmas," and marketers get a lot of the blame for it. But just what does the "X" stand for? Do you know? 🤔
Gen X
Greek letter “chi”
In excelsis Deo
Nothing, it’s a shortcut
And the correct answer is option two, the Greek letter "chi." Although often frowned upon as sloppy or profane, “Xmas” has a long and legitimate history, and it has no relation to other commonly used "X's," such as “Generation X,” “X-ray” or “X” as an algebraic value. In fact, it’s an abbreviation dating back to the 16th century. The word is derived from Greek, in which the letter “X” represents the first letter (chi) as an initial for the Greek word for Christ (Χριστος). In the early days of printing when typesetting was tedious and costly, abbreviations were common. For this reason, churches began to use “X” for “Christ,” and from there it moved into general use in commercial printing. However, although “Xmas” is frequently used in marketing, it's best not used in formal writing, because many people still mistake it as a secularization of “Christmas.”