Who Invented "X"mas?

[rpellegrini]

Who invented "X"mas? Why not C'mas, instead? My guess is that it was some twisted lefty from the heyday of communism in America. Someone who thought it important to X out Christ, not simply abbreviate.

[fso301]

Well, it's getting to be about that time of year for certain posters to try and educate all of us about Christmas being pagan.

[Lovergirl]

I spent 12 years in Catholic school, and we were forbidden to write Xmas on anything. Those Nuns were tough and sometimes mean, but, I would go back and go thru it again. (altho, I hated school with a passion)

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Who invented "X"mas?

This man:

:)

[Puppage]

Yeah, why not use irregardless in conversation,too? ALSO, in the dictionary. I am sure that will ame you come off as a rocket scientist.

[Oztrich Boy]

Who needs research and study when you can guess?

Clue: It's not an X.

[Oztrich Boy]

So, the ancient Greeks were twisted lefty commie scum? The bastards!

Maybe, but as 25 Greek lawyers will tell you, they weren't poofters.

[Shqipo]

Actually, the base of Shqipo is a pure word dating back to the earliest and only (excluding Armenian)intact and singular language on the Indo-European language tree.

[Nick Danger]

[paltz]

learn something new everyday.

[Leroy S. Mort]

from the Swedish Chef Dictionary of American Usage (bork, bork)

Xmes SYLLEBICETION: X·mes PRONOoNCIETION: krsms, ksms NOOoN: Chreestmes. Um gesh dee bork, bork! ITYMOLOGY: Frum X, zee Greek letter chee, furst letter ooff Greek Khrstus, Chreest. Um de hur de hur de hur. See-a Chreest. Um de hur de hur de hur. USEGE NOTE: Xmes hes beee used fur hoondreds ooff yeers in releegiuoos vreeting, vhere-a zee X represents a Greek chee, zee furst letter ooff , “Chreest. Um de hur de hur de hur.” In thees use-a it is perellel tu oozeer furms leeke-a Xteeun, “Chreestiun.” Boot peuple-a unevere-a ooff zee Greek ooreegin ooff thees X oofftee meestekenly interpret Xmes es un inffurmel shurteneeng prunuoonced (ksms). Muny zeereffure-a froon upun zee term Xmes becoose-a it seems tu zeem a cummerceeel cunfeneeence-a thet oomeets Chreest frum Chreestmes. Um gesh dee bork, bork!

[RightWhale]

Yep, goes straight back to the root. I went up to our local univ library to see what I could find about the Albanian language and found one (1) book. I did check it out, but not every book speaks well, and this one was impossible. So, I remain ignorant, except for knowing that we amateurs are ignoring something important while we talk about Latin, Greek, and Celtic, among other popularly extinct languages. How can we possibly know what we say if don't know the root meanings of our words but just trace it back to French or Latin?

[Guyin4Os]

to my great surprise, the Catholic magazine "Inside the Vatican" did a nice piece early this year showing persuasively that Christ probably was born on or near December 25th

I've seen arguments for this notion. I'm thus far unconvinced. I think it is more likely that Jesus was born earlier in the fall, to coincide more with the festival of booths.