X-mas or Christmas or both?

There are Christians who spend a great deal of time saying, “Keep Christ in Christmas” or “Put Christ back into Christmas.” (Other Christians would say he was never part of it!) For the first group, “put Christ back into Christmas” is a retort against the use of “X-mas” in the place of “Christmas.”[i] I have heard this most of my life. However...

Chi (Χ or χ) is the twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet. Used in X-mas, it is not leaving out the name of Christ, but substituting or abbreviating it by using the first letter in the Greek name Christ (χριστός) for Christ. Abbreviations can make communication easier – if you understand the abbreviation. We use them in most aspects of life, especially in writing. In this abbreviation or substitution, X = Christ. X-mas = Christmas.

Some secularists say or use X-mas thinking they deliberately leave Christ out. Some scrupulous Christians substitute the X instead of using “Christ,” thinking they avoid combining the title of Jesus “Christ” with the Roman Catholic “Mass.”[ii] Nevertheless, there is longstanding documented sacred history of Christians using Chi (Χ or χ) to mean, stand for, or symbolize Christ. X-mas does not avoid putting Christ in Christmas, no matter how you slice it.

Here endeth the history lesson.[iii]

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[i] This objection may have originated in the periodical News and Views, published by the Church League of America. An article in December of 1957 titled “X=The Unknown Quantity” criticized the use of X-mas instead of Christmas. However, it is possible that this has earlier criticisms, and was only widely popularized at this time.
[ii] The etymology of the English word Christmas is Middle English Christemasse, from Old English Cristes mæsse, literally, Christ’s mass (combing the words Christ + Mass, the eucharistic service). Nevertheless, to most Westerners it just means the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus, usually celebrated on December 25. Notice however, for example, Wednesday is “Woden’s Day,” Thursday is “Thor’s Day,” and “Friday is “Frigga’s Day.” We would lose our ability to communicate effectively in our native language if we made up words to replace all words that have offensive root associations.
[iii] This is a history lesson, not an advocacy article. I do not care that much what you choose call it. Nevertheless, I would suggest that using the full “Christmas” is less likely to be misunderstood in our culture, without having to explain which one of at least three ways you might be using “X” (as a non-Christian trying to avoid Christ, as a Christian trying to avoid placing Christ next to Mass, or as a Christian using X to stand for and represent Christ).