"Xmas" is not taking "christ" out of "christmas" ...

DrewCCU · Fri 28/12/2007 02:53:47

Ok - i know it's after Christmas and all - i should have posted this sooner i guess ... but what the hey ... just some knowledge i thought i'd share with you guys ...

for those of you who believe the abbreviation "xmas" is "wrong" because it takes the "christ" out of "christmas" - please review this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas

Paper Carnival · Fri 28/12/2007 03:20:09

Christmas was initially a Pagan celebration, but the early Christians adapted it to the Christian religion. There was nothing wrong with that, just like there is nothing wrong with people today celebrating Christmas as they see fit.

But thanks for the link anyway, I will show that to a few people I know who went on a war against Xmas and Christmas trees and see how they react.

Oddysseus · Fri 28/12/2007 03:29:55

I personally don't care either way, but thanks for the link. It's always interesting to see where modern misconceptions come from.

BOYD1981 · Fri 28/12/2007 03:35:08

i'm against Xmas purely because i think it's lazy and stupid (i'm a total atheist by the way) plus X is often referred to as 'cross' so Xmas just looks like it's a time of year when people just get quite angry (which is actually pretty true anyway

), so i tend to avoid using Xmas, although i am quite blatantly using it in my avatar, but it's more of a pun thing as it usually says DGAS... yeh.
but really, who actually gives a shift apart from people nobody listens to anyway?
screw em.

lo_res_man · Fri 28/12/2007 03:36:23

My dad felt the way some sillies do about X-mas and such. Personally, I think its just silly.

zabnat · Fri 28/12/2007 06:20:06

Aren't I happy that our word for christmas is derived from that aforementioned pagan festival for winter solstice

Eigen · Fri 28/12/2007 08:49:23

What about ..
X's Eve and Xween and X Giving Day (Xing Day) or perhaps Xalentine' day

Oh, yeah. I hate it. Christmas is Christmas. Not XYZmas

lo_res_man · Fri 28/12/2007 08:54:08

The X is the first initial in Christ in Greek. Christs Mass X Mass christmas , xmas. Any christian who complains should bone up on their dead lingos

Radiant · Fri 28/12/2007 09:09:36

Quote from: DrewCCU on Fri 28/12/2007 02:53:47
for those of you who believe the abbreviation "xmas" is "wrong" because it takes the "christ" out of "christmas" - please review this page:

I've never even heard of people objecting to that

space boy · Fri 28/12/2007 11:53:02

It's a common misconception that christmas is a christian holiday. It's a mix of various beliefs, trends and trademarks. At home we light a jewish candle stand on christmas.

EldKatt · Fri 28/12/2007 12:01:08

"Other people do stuff at the same time" doesn't mean "Christmas is not a Christian holiday".

space boy · Fri 28/12/2007 12:11:24

Next time I shall put sarcastic posts between these <sarcasm> </sarcasm>.

EldKatt · Fri 28/12/2007 12:19:39

Please do.

Renal Shutdown · Fri 28/12/2007 13:12:12

"..And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22: 19 -20).

Jesus wants y'all to celebrate his death, not his birth. Somewhere else there's a passage about God wanting all days equal, so he's worshipped equally all year round, and not placing importance on a single day.

It's doesn't matter if Xmas takes the Christ out of Christmas, as it's not really a Christian celebration. Pagans had it first, and Jesus wasn't even born in December. Christians just adopted the day as something to celebrate.

As for the details of Christmas? Presents were from Saint Nick feeding hungry kids in a storm. Santa's red and white outfit? That's from a Coca Cola advertising campaign (he used to traditionally wear green). I'm also pretty sure folk in Jeruselum 2000 years ago didn't stick decorations on Pine trees or build snowmen.

If anything, Christians should be busy preparing for things like Easter or Lent or whatever, instead of faffing about worrying if Xmas is Christian enough. Not to mention how many lonely people kill themselves at Xmas, I doubt that's what Jesus would want.

scotch · Fri 28/12/2007 14:36:27

Right, but people do celebrate his death and resurrection, and Easter is generally seen as the most important Christian observance, even if the presents are not as spectacular. Clearly the festivals were built off of old ones, including Easter, there are no rock solid dates for when Jesus was born or died, but that's not much of an argument about ignoring it, there are lots of less significant Christian celebrations.

Christmas and Easter are both religious festivals, widely celebrated by an unbelieving public, but we all know what they're about, there's no need to worry about Jesus disappearing from it, he's at least as memorable as the Easter Bunny!

I'd never heard anyone complaining about "Xmas", too, I always read the X part as referring to christ and the cross.

Darth Mandarb · Fri 28/12/2007 17:11:39

My brother's middle name is Christopher ... so I often call him Xopher (I pronounce it Zoe-fur).

I always took Xmas as another example of human laziness, I mean ... it's sooooo much harder (and takes WAY too long) to write Christmas when Xmas just is so much easier!

Another thing I considered was that it fits better on signs so they didn't have to squeeze the longer word 'Christmas' on there.

Then another thought I had was that it was some lame-ass attempt at PC like "happy holidays" or other crap brought on by the fact that this time of year all other whiny religious nuts start bitchin' and moaning about Christmas traditions. Which makes total sense ... since we have freedom of religion here in the states. Well ... freedom of religion as long as you're not Christian of course.

Stupot · Fri 28/12/2007 20:15:00

I quite often use Xmas. That doesn't make me lazy; it's a long-established abbreviation, not txt spk.

FSi++ · Fri 28/12/2007 20:25:32

Ow, people, come on, stop being stupid!
The Allmighty Cthulhu will eat everyone, the good, the bad, the sane and the not, anyway. Relax and enjoy the show.

Vlad · Fri 28/12/2007 23:41:22

Quote from: Renal Shutdown on Fri 28/12/2007 13:12:12
If anything, Christians should be busy preparing for things like Easter or Lent or whatever.

Actually Easter was also originally a pagan celebration, I think. The name itself refers to the goddess Easter or Eoster or somesuch. I might be wrong, thouh.

Anyway, as a Christian (can I type Xian instead?)...

As an Xian I don't give a flying poo about how it's called or what were that particular celebration's roots (I find it interesting, that is, but it doesn't hurt my feelings in any way) or how Chr... Xian it is as long as people take their time and consider not being total bastards for a change as they sit by the Xmas tree (except for those who are not total bastards, naturally).

Also, I think Jesus X sounds cool.

lo_res_man · Fri 28/12/2007 23:55:18

Quote from: Vlad on Fri 28/12/2007 23:41:22
Also, I think Jesus X sounds cool.

Great Zombie Jesus! It sounds almost sounds like "Jason X"

In all seriousness, whatever floats your boat.