Is it offensive to say Xmas?

Christians should use Christ's name as much as possible, but “Xmas” is not inherently a blasphemous term. Because of the use of “Xmas”, some Christians get bent out of shape when people take Jesus' name out of the holiday. Evangelist Franklin Graham even called the term “a war against the name of Jesus Christ.”


Can I say Xmas?

"Xmas" is deprecated by some modern style guides, including those at the New York Times,The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage The Times, The Guardian, and the BBC. Millicent Fenwick, in the 1948 Vogue's Book of Etiquette, states that "'Xmas' should never be used" in greeting cards.

Is Xmas slang?

Meaning – Christmas. Xmas is an abbreviation of Christmas. Xmas is an informal expression and as such should not be used in formal situations.


Is it politically correct to say Merry Christmas?

“It's considered politically correct to say Happy Holidays, so it's just considered insensitive to say Merry Christmas to other people who aren't from this country that don't celebrate it,“ said senior Miguel Montano, Div. 022. “Merry Christmas” is a traditional saying that's been around for centuries.

What is the meaning of Xmas?

The abbreviation Xmas for Christmas dates from the mid 16th century. The X is the Greek letter chi, the initial letter in the word Χριστός ( Chrīstos ) “Christ.” In spite of a long and respectable history, today Xmas is offensive to many, perhaps because of its associations with advertising.


Is it offensive to say “Merry Christmas?”



Why is Xmas pagan?

People living in the northern hemisphere celebrate winter solstice (or the shortest day of the year) smack bang in the middle of December, and this is why Christmas just so happened to fall around the same time as many existing pagan holidays. The winter solstice was a huge part of pagan life.

Is Xmas in the Bible?

Dec. 25 is not the date mentioned in the Bible as the day of Jesus's birth; the Bible is actually silent on the day or the time of year when Mary was said to have given birth to him in Bethlehem. The earliest Christians did not celebrate his birth.

What can I say instead of Happy Christmas?

General greetings
  • Enjoy the holiday season.
  • Warmest Wishes.
  • May your days be merry and bright.
  • Hanukkah Sameach!
  • Light the menorah.
  • Wishing you a new year full of peace and joy.
  • May your holidays be full of warmth and cheer.
  • The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…


How do you say Merry Christmas without religion?

Non-Denominational Alternatives to “Merry Christmas”
  1. Festive greetings.
  2. Good tidings.
  3. Happy holidays.
  4. Happy holly-days.
  5. Holiday greetings.
  6. Merry everything.
  7. Season's greetings.
  8. Season's eatings.


Why do they call it a Xmas?

In the early days of the Christian church, Christians used the letter X as a secret symbol to indicate their membership in the church to others. If you know the Greek meaning of X, Xmas and Christmas essentially mean the same thing: Christ + mas = Christmas.

Who started Xmas?

The origins of Christmas stem from both the pagan and Roman cultures. The Romans actually celebrated two holidays in the month of December. The first was Saturnalia, which was a two-week festival honoring their god of agriculture Saturn. On December 25th, they celebrated the birth of Mithra, their sun god.


What do the British call Christmas?

The word Christmas is no exception; some Brits will informally call it Chrimbo. In Britain (and several Commonwealth countries), Boxing Day is the day following Christmas which serves nowadays as a bank/public holiday.

What is the politically correct way to say happy holidays?

Seven Other Ways To Say “Happy Holidays”
  1. Enjoy the holiday season. ...
  2. Season's greetings! ...
  3. I hope you have a delightful holiday with friends and family. ...
  4. Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah! ...
  5. Warm wishes to you this holiday season. ...
  6. Wishing you a joyous holiday season. ...
  7. [Get specific]


What month was Jesus actually born?

Theories based on the Star of Bethlehem

University of Cambridge Professor Colin Humphreys has argued in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society that a comet in the early 5 BC was likely the "Star of Bethlehem", putting Jesus' birth in or near April, 5 BC.


What is Jesus actual birthday?

According to legend, Jesus Christ was born on the night between 24 and 25 December in the year 0. Christians all over the world therefore traditionally celebrate the birth of the Messiah and Son of God on this date as Christmas.

Was Jesus really born on Christmas?

The Virgin Mary, pregnant with the son of God, would hence have given birth to Jesus nine months later on the winter solstice. From Rome, the Christ's Nativity celebration spread to other Christian churches to the west and east, and soon most Christians were celebrating Christ's birth on December 25.

Why are Christians not allowed to celebrate Christmas?

Why would any Christian be against the celebration of the birth of Christ? The answer lies in interpretations of the Bible, and a rejection of the pagan origins of the holiday. One of the main arguments against Christmas is that early Jews and Christians did not celebrate birthdays.


Is Christmas a pagan holiday yes or no?

Now, as Christmas applies to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas is decidedly not pagan. However, there are some differences of opinion when it comes to the selection of day of celebration. On the Roman calendar, December 25 was the date of the winter solstice (December 21 on the modern calendar).

What holidays are actually pagan?

7 Pagan Festivals We Still Celebrate Today
  • Christmas.
  • New Year's Day.
  • Easter.
  • The Roman version of Halloween.
  • May 1st - Labor Day.
  • Epiphany or Three Kings Day.
  • Saint John's Eve.


Why was Christmas forbidden in England?

University of Warwick historian Professor Bernard Capp said the ban was put in place by the Puritan government in 1647 as they believed Christmas was used as an excuse for drunkenness, promiscuity, gambling and other forms of excess.


What do the Irish call Christmas?

Christmas is 'Nollaig' in Irish.

Why do Americans say Merry Christmas and not Happy Christmas?

So when did "Happy Christmas" become "Merry Christmas" in the U.S.? Historians believe it might boil down to a simple grammatical lesson. "Happy" is a word that describes an inner emotional condition, while "merry" is more of a behavior descriptor—something active and maybe even raucous.

What religion invented Christmas?

Christmas was traditionally a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, but in the early 20th century, it also became a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike.