[The_Reader_David]

Isn't the X for Greek Chi therefore XMAS IS Christmas? Of course. Just look on any Orthodox icon of Christ: even if the other inscriptions (say for instance on an open book of the Gospels held by Christ and bearing one of the things He said during his earthly ministry) are in Slavonic, Romanian, Arabic, English, Japanese or Aleut, the insription identifying Christ is simply IC XC (C being a variant terminal sigma, and I and X being the first letters of Jesus Christ in Greek (Iesus Christos)).

[AMDG&BVMH]

"the insription identifying Christ is simply IC XC (C being a variant terminal sigma, and I and X being the first letters of Jesus Christ in Greek (Iesus Christos))."

I do appreciate the additional scholarly information. Thanks.