The little-known history of the X in Xmas

Many Christians worry that writing “Xmas” crosses Christ out of Christmas, however the story of the X is an ancient, deeply rooted Christian custom.​ This is the story ….

Where the X in Xmas comes from

In the Greek New Testament, the word for Christ is ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (in capitals) or Χριστός (in lower case), which in Roman Latin letters becomes “Christos”, and which provides English its word “Christ”, the Greek equivalent of “Messiah”. The first two Greek letters of Χριστός are chi and rho, written ΧΡ, which seem like the letters X and P. These have long been used as a sacred monogram for Christ.​

Those two letters intertwined form the traditional chi-rho symbol ☧, which appears on banners, altar cloths, vestments, chalices, and stained glass windows in Catholic and Anglican churches. Its use goes back to the fourth century and the time of Emperor Constantine, the primary Roman emperor to favour Christianity. Later, because chi (Χ) is the primary letter of Χριστός, scribes within the Christian tradition began to make use of X by itself as a recognised contraction for the name of Christ.​​

A thousand years of Christian shorthand

Long before Christmas cards and shop signs, monks and clerks were using X as a holy abbreviation in handwritten documents to avoid wasting time and space. An early attestable English example comes from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle around 1100, where “Christmas” appears as “Xp̄es mæsse”, an early spelling of “Christ’s mass” (Christmas) using the X contraction.​

From there, a complete family of abbreviations developed: “Christian” could possibly be written “Xian”, “Christopher” as “Xopher”, “Christina” as “Xina”, and “Christmas” as “Xmas”. In each case the X is just not deleting Christ but standing in for him, drawing directly on the primary letter of his Greek title Χριστός. When an indication or card uses “Xmas”, it’s unknowingly borrowing an incredibly old Christian code.​

The many meanings of X

Once you recognise that X can stand for Christ, a complete cluster of other uses of X suddenly turn into a strategy to illustrate the Christian message. X has gathered meanings in on a regular basis language that could be re-read in the sunshine of the gospel and could be utilized in talks and conversations:​

X marks the spot: In pirate stories, X on the map shows where the treasure is buried, a reminder that in Christ “are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”, and that the true treasure of Christmas is found where the X is.​

X is the unknown: In algebra x is the unknown quantity, the reply we’re on the lookout for, just as many individuals at Christmas are trying to find meaning and find the reply in Christ.​

X is the X-factor: When someone has the “X factor”, they’ve that special something others long for, an image of the unique quality Christ brings right into a human life.​

X is a kiss: An x at the tip of a message stands for a kiss and speaks of affection, echoing the love of God shown in sending his Son.​

X is ten: In Roman numerals X stands for ten, which may recall the Ten Commandments that expose where we fall short.​

X marks mistaken: Teachers use a red X to mark a mistake, an indication that we’ve done something mistaken and stand in need of forgiveness.​

X stands for cross: On road signs an X at a junction indicates a crossroads, and “cross-reference” or “cross-roads” are sometimes shortened in notes to “x-ref” or “x-roads”, reinforcing the connection between X and the cross.​

X means “times”: In multiplication, x means “times” or “over and over”, which may remind us that Christ’s forgiveness and mercy are prolonged time and again.​

X is a vote: On a ballot paper an X within the box means you could have chosen a candidate, a picture of the non-public decision to place one’s trust in Christ.​

Each of those on a regular basis uses of X could be used to elucidate the fullness of the Xmas and the Xian message.​

Putting the X back into Xmas

Seen on this light, the X in “Xmas” doesn’t remove Christ but encodes his name within the very letters, following the practice of ancient monks. The X can remind us of God’s commandments, our failures, the treasure of the gospel, the love of God, the cross of Christ, the repeated offer of forgiveness, and the choice all and sundry makes in response.​

So reasonably than complaining about seeing “Xmas” on a card or commercial, Christians can use it as a talking point: explaining that the X comes from Χριστός, that it has been utilized in Christian writing for hundreds of years, and that it points to the very heart of what Christmas is about. So, let’s put the X back into Xmas!