We are officially in the Christmas season. Some even say, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Christmas is considered a “Christian” holiday, yet most of the world celebrates this holiday. Christians and nonChristians recognize and involve themselves in the celebrations.
A few years ago I did a research project on the origins of Christmas. The when, where, and why of how the holiday began. The Bible tells us of Jesus’s birth, but Christmas was not a holiday celebrated by the early Church. Let me just say that the research led to some eyeopening discoveries. There’s a lot of history about this holiday. I encourage you to do your own research.
One interesting discovery about Christmas is why we see it referred to as “Xmas”. I was taught that folks who say or write “Xmas”, do so because they don’t celebrate Jesus. Well, that could be the case now, but did you know that the original use of “Xmas” did not have the intention of removing Christ from Christmas? The word “Xmas” is actually an abbreviation of Christmas. The “X” is the first letter of the Greek word “Xristós”. The English translation of “Xristós” is “Christ”. Below is the definition of the word “Christ” in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:
5547. Χριστός Xristós, khris-tos’; From 5548; anointed, that is, the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus. :–Christ.
The “X” means Christ. Learning this history was a humbling experience for me.
So what does the “mas” mean? I’ll let you research that one on your own.
Many blessings to you and your loved ones this season as we celebrate Jesus! HE is worthy of celebrating everyday!
Psalms 118:24 “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
In Times Like These 