Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Keeping "Christ" in Christmas

Merry X-Mas.....
Do you know how difficult it was for me to type that??
It actually hurts me inside to do that. I have never, ever liked to see that shortcut taken. I've read before what the "X" actually represents....and, some people say that it's a cross turned sideways.
Here's what I found:


"The abbreviation 'Xmas' for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name, "X" in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ's name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook "Xmas" as a sign of disrespect."


"Christians who did not understand the Greek language
mistook Xmas as a sign of disrespect".

I am a Christian....I don't "understand" the Greek language, but I do understand where and why the X started being used.
But....
I still don't like it...and I do consider it as a sign of disrespect!!!


Several years ago....we were in a store, which shall remain nameless..."we" being me and Pap...there were X-Mas signs all over that store...well, yours truly took offense....and I took the signs down and laid them on top of, or under, the things they were advertising....now, don't go and start being critical of me...I know I shouldn't have done it...I'm not telling you this little story to brag...I'm just telling you to let you know how strongly I disagree with replacing "Christ" in Christmas with a big old X.
(plus...in my defense...these weren't commercial signs...they were little hand-made signs on pieces of poster board taped to the racks...and I didn't remove every one of them....does that make what I did more acceptable?)


Does it take longer to write out "Christ" than to use an X?
Well, of course it does.
Are those who use the X deliberately trying to leave Christ out??? I don't know!
I would venture to guess that's not every one's intention....I think it's partly just pure old laziness....it takes much less time to write that X than to write out Christ.


Here's another little story for you:
Several years ago, back when there were quite a few "beer joints" in a little town not far from here....there was a sign outside of one of the establishments....and I will never forget this....on that sign, was written these words:
Merry X-Mas
That broke my heart....and I've never forgotten it.
To me, that was a prime example of how Christmas is viewed by some people....as a time to celebrate....a time to celebrate the birth of our dear precious Savior...with alcohol....how very sad that is to me....of course, the proper term these days is "adult beverage". I've heard that term used a lot lately, and I don't like it either!!!
Just the other day, I had an appointment, and I was in a room with some ladies and one of them had her little boy with her....he was drinking chocolate milk from a sippy cup and he kept calling it an "adult beverage"....now, where do you think he heard that term....more than likely from an adult he was around a lot!!!
What are we teaching our children/grandchildren?!?!?!


So....
let's all make an extra effort to keep "Christ" in Christmas!!!

Let's celebrate Christmas in a way that honors Jesus, not degrades the "reason for the season"!!

And....
I cannot promise that if I'm in a store and they have little signs using the X....
that I won't take them down!!!
I just can't help it....I've gotta be me!!!


In His Love...and with mine!!!

2 comments:

  1. I thought that I got upset with "X"... I love the hiding of the sign method...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree, I feel the same about the X, I dont like it and I won't even shop at a place that advertises as such!!!
    amen sister!!
    love ya

    ReplyDelete

Kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 16:24