# Who Came Up With The "X" for Christ in Christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596 "2000-12-01T17:01:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/1 "2000-12-01T17:01:47Z")
I mean I can see abbreviating some words but Christmas is definetely not one of them. After all He is the reason for the season. So who did it and why? Anyone know? I have always wanted to know. ---
**Author:** ![malden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@malden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malden)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/2 "2000-12-01T17:13:42Z")
The Greek letter X, or Chi, is the first letter of the Greek word _Christos_, for Christ. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect the usage is many centuries old. As a Christian, I don’t find its use offensive at all. My family even has a Christmas tree ornament in the form of an X. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/3 "2000-12-01T17:13:47Z")
In Greek, the first letter of the word “Khristos” is “Chi”, which, in the Greek alphabet, looks like this- X I’m not entirely sure when the abbreviation X was first used for Christ, but I know it was early…sometime in the second century. I think they’ve found graffitti dating back to then using the abbreviation. Another representation of the word “Christ” was the Chi-rho…which came from the first two letters of the word. A picture of the Chi-rho can be found here: [http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/C0307800.html](http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/C0307800.html) Hope that answers your question. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/4 "2000-12-01T17:42:28Z")
Godless atheistic liberal Jewish communists who run the media in this country did it! By replacing “Christ” with “X”…the universal symbol of negation (and when tripled [as in the Holy Trinity] the universal symbol for alcoholic beverages!) they have blackened the very birthright of Our Saviour with nihilistic, vodka-swilling mockery! (pant, pant) Uh…nah, **malden** and **Capt. Amazing** are correct. ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/5 "2000-12-01T17:48:06Z")
I think Ike’s on to something here with the XXX on liquor and the X in Xmas. Who among us doesn’t consume egg-nog at Xmas? I rest my case. Or one of you could have done a search in the archives and found the [mailbag answer](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mxmas.html)… ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/6 "2000-12-01T18:24:07Z")
A curse on you, Ike, for beating me to every thread I want to post in!!! I’m surprised you didn’t beat me to the threads that I started! You do it just to spite me, don’t you, you…uh…new yorkish guy, or something. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/7 "2000-12-01T19:26:01Z")
Hey, **Joe,** remember that waitress with the cute tush from the bar on Varick Street? I had a date with her last Saturday. When she came, she screamed out your name. (running away really fast) ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/8 "2000-12-01T20:23:30Z")
Thanks Guys. And I am glad it is not what ukulele said. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/9 "2000-12-01T20:27:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bottle of Smoke \* > **Who among us doesn’t consume egg-nog at Xmas? I rest my case.** Me. That stuff makes me gag. And a Happy X-Year as well. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/10 "2000-12-01T23:28:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*Hey, **Joe,** remember that waitress with the cute tush from the bar on Varick Street? > \*\* It’s apparently time for another NY doperfest. The waitress with the cute tush was on 2nd Ave. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/11 "2000-12-01T23:43:18Z")
Well…then…for the love of God…WHOSE CUTE TUSH _WAS_ THAT on Varick? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/12 "2000-12-01T23:45:36Z")
\<\\> No, not really. The winter solstice was celebrated around December 25th for centuries, even before Jesus was born. Certain christians co-opted the pagan holiday, and declared it Jesus’ birthday (I’m oversimplifying tremendously, I know). And for centuries celebrating christmas was considered offensive to much of mainstream christianity, as many felt it was wrong to randomly assign His birthday to a pagan holiday. So celebrating his birth (which most assuredly didn’t occur in december) may be your reason for celebrating the season, and a fine reason at that, but please don’t insist it’s my reason, or the only reason. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/13 "2000-12-01T23:45:45Z")
Well… modesty fobids. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/14 "2000-12-01T23:49:36Z")
WB, I have a dictionary, a most marvelous invention here is what it said: Xmas "kris-mes also "eks-mes\ noun [X (symbol for Christ, fr. the Gk letter chi (X), initial of Christos Christ) + -mas (in Christmas)] (1551) : christmas ©1996 Zane Publishing, Inc. and Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. All rights reserved. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/15 "2000-12-05T17:28:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*Hey, **Joe,** remember that waitress with the cute tush from the bar on Varick Street? > > I had a date with her last Saturday. > > When she came, she screamed out your name. > > (running away really fast) \*\* Wow, you did that for me? Ike, I uncurse you. You are the coolest! And how could I forget her? 😃 OOPS, my girlfriend reads the boards occasionally. Babe, what I mean is that the waitress gave us exceptionally good service! I don’t remember her being cute at all…they’re just trying to get me in trouble. Manny, I think another IRL would be a good idea. I haven’t gotten good and drunk since the last one. Should we summon Biggirl to organize it? * * * Joe Cool ---
**Author:** ![Stric-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Stric-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stric-9)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/16 "2000-12-05T19:32:40Z")
No, no, no. You’re making this harder to understand than it needs to be. To see why X = Christ, one only needs to think in the form of phonics, and also see how an X is used other places. Take for example, the Ped X-ing signs you see all over. Do you really thing there’s some sort of ancient Greek reason for this X? **NO**!!! It’s not supposed to be seen as the letter “X”, but as a cross. (“Ped X-ing” is short for “Pedestrian CROSSing”). Now, some sub-genius though Christ sounded enough like cross that we could just use an X in place of it. So there it is. **MERRY CROSSMAS EVERYBODY!!!** ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-came-up-with-the-x-for-christ-in-christmas/43596/17 "2000-12-05T19:43:47Z")
“So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table finding faith in common ground the best that they were able.” - Dar Williams As hinted above, co-opting is not limited to Christmas. Check out All Hallows Eve and All Saint’s Day. **THE TRUTH:** Long time ago, some dude named Christopher, who was illiterate (and dumber than a box of hair) got it into his noggin that the messiness around the tree on the morning of 25 Dec was all his fault. When he tried to use what little writing skills he had to write an apology note, he could only write the word “mess”. When he went to sign his name, he was at a complete loss. Of course, he made his legal mark the “X”. The note looked something like this: mess - X This note made many people laugh, so they therefore always referred to the torn wrapping paper and broken toys as Chris’ mess and wrote it thus: X - mess Through time, of course, what with major language changes during the Anglo-Saxon “cohabitation experiment”, the spelling has changed. Middle English doesn’t read exactly as the more popular, current version… _se non e vero, e ben trovato._ Spritle