stewart (11/18/82)
Actually the "X" in "Xmas" is not the English/Roman letter "X" at all. It is the Greek letter "chi", the first letter of the Greek word "christos," meaning "Christ." The abbreviation "Xmas" is somewhat ecclectic, I admit, but it is far from being the travesty many of us believe it to be. John Stewart
halle1 (11/18/82)
The "X" in Xmas is a reference to the Greek chi, the first letter in the Greek spelling of Christ.
rew (11/18/82)
You should reserve your disgust for something other than the 'X' in Xmas. It is really a Greek 'Chi' and, as by now you might suspect, the first letter in 'Christos', Greek for Christ. Bob Warren cbosgd!nscs!rew
trb (11/18/82)
Re: taking the X out of Christmas The X is no Madison Avenue innovation. The letter X has been symbolic of Christ for a LONG time; the Greek name Christos is spelled beginning with the letter chi (X). My dictionary (Webster's New Colliegiate - Merriam) lists Xn and Xnty as abbrevs for Christian and Christianity, with no slurs implied. Andy Tannenbaum Bell Labs Whippany, NJ (201) 386-6491
stan (11/19/82)
I hate parsing date strings.