Xmas

In Xmas, the X stands for the Greek letter chi, the first letter of Christos, the Greek word for Christ. Many people read the letter as the English X that crosses something out. To them, Xmas looks like an effort to cross Christ out of Christmas, and its frequent use in advertising adds to the impression that it is commercial rather than religious. Christian scribes, however, used chi as an abbreviation for Christ more than a thousand years ago, so Xmas does not remove Christ from the holiday. Spell out Christmas in sentences, and save Xmas for tight spaces such as signs and headlines.