Christmas or Xmas

What’s a Four-Letter Term for ?

The expression “four-letter term” typically doesn’t evoke a positive meaning, does it? It’s a saying that brings to mind words that lead to censors bleeping and parents reprimanding.

If you accidentally hit your thumb with a hammer, you’re likely to utter one of those four-letter terms. If you’re a comedian performing with mature content, your routine will be peppered with several of these four-letter terms. Some people even think that overusing words from this frowned-upon group might consign you to a permanent and eternal stay in a place that’s also a four-letter term.

But despite the negative connotation of the phrase, not all four-letter terms are, indeed, “four-letter terms.” Many words made up of four letters are thoroughly honorable linguistic entities. And some four-letter terms fall into a gray area, where they are viewed as offensive by some, and as entirely innocent and proper by others.

One such term is Xmas.

X-ing Out Christ? Not Really…

Xmas is a word that stirs quite a reaction from some individuals.

It’s understandable. After all, the traditional significance of Christmas is under attack in numerous modern parts of society. So much so that many institutions, both private and public, no longer officially recognize Christmas as Christmas.

For instance, several educational boards have stopped referring to time off as a Christmas break, calling it a holiday break or winter break instead. Companies instruct staff to wish customers “season’s greetings” rather than “Merry Christmas.” Many local authorities no longer allow Christmas-themed displays like nativity scenes on public properties and forbid the use of the word “Christmas” in relation to public festivities such as parades and celebrations.

So it’s comprehensible that Christmas supporters, who cherish the holiday’s traditional meaning, feel defensive.

Hence, Xmas has been grouped into the “bad” four-letter term category by some. This is because many see the ‘X’ in Xmas as an attempt to remove Christ from the holiday.

Yet nothing could be further from the truth.

The term “Xmas” has been in use for centuries. Its origin precedes contemporary efforts to transform Christmas towards non-traditional values by hundreds of years. The ‘X’ in Xmas stands for the Greek letter ‘chi,’ the initial letter of the Greek term for Christ. ‘X’ is simply an abbreviation for Christ.

So for centuries, the term Xmas has literally meant Christ-mass. Rather than excluding Christ, the ‘X’ inherently includes Christ.

A Good Term Turned Bad?

Meanings of terms evolve over time – sometimes quite drastically. And perhaps for the term Xmas, the negative connotation that has started to be associated with it will never be entirely overcome. For many, Xmas has become a genuine “four-letter term.”

However, for others, the negative perception of Xmas might be seen as an instance of the unfair degradation of a perfectly valid term. Oh, the injustice!

References:
https://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/xmas.htm
https://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/xmasabbr.asp