X-Mas

[[File:PostcardIBringYouAMerryXmas1910.jpg|thumb|right|165px|An Xmas postcard from 1910]]
{{Christianity}}
{{cquote|You've heard the classic story about the little boy who noticed the huge red-and-green sign spray-painted on a department story: "Happy Xmas." And he wondered aloud about the X. Why was it X-mas? And finally, in a forlorn voice, he asked his dad: "Did they cross Christ out of Christmas, Daddy?" And the father had never thought of it that way before, but finally nodded. "Yes, Son, I guess they did." And it makes you think.|||David B. Smith<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030220141512/http://www.vop.com/previous_broadcasts/2001/december/01512.htm You can't "X" out Christ] by David B. Smith (2001) ''The Voice of Prophecy'' (archived from February 20, 2003).</ref>}}

'''X-Mas''' or '''Xmas''' is an archaic abbreviation of [[Christmas]], derived from the 1550s abbreviation "X'temmas", later appearing as Xmas by the 1700s.<ref>Xmas, ''n.'', ''Oxford English Dictionary''.</ref> 

==Complaint==
It happens because such nasty libruls don't like saying [[Christ]] and hate Baby [[Jesus]]. It's similar to "Xians", which if you're unprepared for, may make you think that some [[atheist]]ic bloggers are going mental over a Chinese gang.

The "X-mas" abbreviation is something the [[religious right]] loves to whine about, ''viz.,'' the [[secular humanism|secular humanist]] plot "[[War on Christmas|to take the Christ out of Christmas]]."  

In fact, the X stands for the Greek letter chi, which has been used as an abbreviation for Christ (it's the first letter of the Greek Χριστος, "Christos") since the [[Gospel]]s were written.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua_lCH4wK4g Christmas vs. Xmas - Merriam-Webster Ask the Editor] ([[YouTube]] video)</ref><ref>[http://www.crivoice.org/symbols/xmasorigin.html The Origin of "Xmas"], Dennis Bratcher, Christian Resource Institute</ref> So really, the folks protesting "X-Mas" are trying to put a stop to a traditional ''Christian'' practice, not an atheist one.

==Fun fact==
Here is a fun fact which may or may not be related; The sale of [[porn]] spikes every year around Christmas time.{{fact}} [[Sexual intercourse#Sex and Christmas|Heterosexual activity]] also rises at that time.<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/26/it-s-high-time-for-conception-studies-show-peak-times-weather-for-sex.html It's High Time for Conception: Studies Show Peak Times, Weather for Sex]</ref>  

#Is this due to X-Mas (specifically the number of porn barons who think it's funny and/or original to put out a DVD called "XXX-Mas")?
#Is this because people have time to look at stuff over the X-Mas holiday and places where there are interesting sexual or non-sexual things to do are closed?
#Is this just because it's cold in December in the Northern Hemisphere? What happens in [[Australia]]/[[New Zealand]]?

==Not to be confused with==
{{collist|2|
*[[Exorcism|X-orcism]]
*X-Men
*XX (Dos Equis)
*xxx / XXX (X-Rated)
*xXx (Triple X, ''xXx: State of the Union'' and ''xXx: Return of Xander Cage'')
*XXXX (Australians can't spell [[beer]])
*Fourecks
*X-Ray
*sXe (The [[straight edge]] movement)
*X ma(rk)s the spot
}}

==See also==
*[[Santa Claus]]
*[[War on Christmas]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{stub|Christianity}}

[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Holidays]]

Categories: Christianity, Christmas, Holidays