Merry Xmas Y'all!

It's that time of year again when I feel compelled to impart my infinite (although, self-perceived) wisdom. Every year I hear several people lamenting the fact that they have to suffer through the degradation of having to listen or read the phrase Merry Xmas. I used to be on the same band wagon, too and would bristle whenever I saw an X instead of Christ and was convinced of a vast modern day conspiracy to take Christ out of Christmas because that's what the religious leaders of the day were telling me.

Then many years ago I bought an old book published in 1894 at a garage sale. On the inside cover someone had written "Xmas 94." Wait a minute. They were taking Christ out of Christmas in the 1800's? That just didn't sound right so I began doing a little bit of research. And I do mean a little bit. It didn't take long at all to figure out that X isn't trying to cheapen or lessen the reason Christians or Xians celebrate the season.

X is the Greek letter for Chi. Chi is used for Christ. People have been using the letter X to represent Christ for centuries. CENTURIES. Early Christians used the letter X to show that they followed Christ. Many early A.D. burial sites in Rome have an X inscribed in the stone around the tombs. It means "Hey! This person was a Christian."

So, please stop acting like there is a burr under your saddle when you see the phrase Xmas. Even if it is someone's modern day attempt to take Christ out of Christmas all they are doing is substituting the word Christ for the symbol for Christ. It's the same thing as us using the little fishy symbol or the pretzel symbol, the cross or the many other symbols we use to represent that we follow a living Christ.

And honestly, does it matter if someone really tries to take Christ out of Christmas? Does that make your relationship with Christ any less? Does someone writing an X keep you from knowing and worshiping God who sent us His son? Does it hinder you in any way from praying? More importantly, does your action of becoming angry or disgruntled at people who say Xmas make someone want to follow Christ? Do you really think Jesus has his feelings hurt because someone says Xmas and do you think we need to defend him for something as silly as that? I don't think so, but maybe that's just me.

So again, I say Merry Xmas, y'all. And I will continue to use that phrase if for no other reason than to irritate others who have nothing better to fret about.