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- Most scholars agree that the first appearance of this abbreviation for Christmas dates to 1021, “when an Anglo-Saxon scribe saved himself space by writing XPmas,” reported First Things. Parchment paper was quite expensive, so any techniques for saving space were welcome. The abbreviation stuck and eventually was shortened to Xmas.
www.vox.com/2014/12/14/7374401/jesus-xmas-christmasThe X in Xmas literally means Christ. Here's the history ...
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Where did Xmas come from? But, the history of the word Xmas is actually more respectable—and fascinating—than you might suspect. First of all, the abbreviation predates (by centuries) its use in gaudy advertisements.
Xmas (also X-mas) is a common abbreviation of the word Christmas. It is sometimes pronounced / ˈɛksməs /, but Xmas, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation / ˈkrɪsməs /.
Aug 4, 2023 · The “x” in X-mas as an abbreviation for Christmas definitely comes from the Greek letter “χ.” The Greek word for Christ is Christos, written χριστοσ and meaning “anointed.”
Nov 9, 2021 · Like many words in the English language, Xmas has its origins in Greek. The Greek word for Christ is Christós, and the first letter of Christós is Chi. Written in the Greek alphabet, Chi is Χ. Over time, X became an abbreviation for Christ, and Christmas became Xmas.
- Kate Miller-Wilson
- Staff Writer
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Dec 12, 2018 · The first use of X in an abbreviation for Christmas dates all the way back to an Anglo-Saxon scribe in 1021, who wrote “XPmas” as shorthand. The Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage describes several variations of “Xtian” being used as an abbreviation for Christian since the 1400s.
An Anglo-Saxon 1021 manuscript used Xpmass to refer to Christmas. A 1551 document called it X-temmas and a 1721 document used the modern day recognizable form of Xmas. In the 19th century, xmassing was even considered a verb.
