to passionatley hate people writing Xmas?

[DaddyIsHome]

Im not majorly religious but I think that writing Xmas is just lazy and somewhat dissrespetful. To make it worse it doesnt really make sense, Xmas that sounds nothing like Christmas. So AIBU to dislike the fact that people abrevieate it?

[bundaberg]

you can't feel that strongly, you just used it 3 times yourself :P

[joydivisionovengloves]

How is it disrespectful?

[bundaberg]

takes the Christ out of Christmas I suppose?

[Grennie]

YABU it is a very old way of writing Christmas.

"by the fifteenth century Xmas emerged as a widely used symbol for Christmas. In 1436 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with moveable type. In the early days of printing typesetting was done by hand and was very tedious and expensive. As a result, abbreviations were common. In religious publications, the church began to use the abbreviation C, or simply X, for the word "Christ" to cut down on the cost of the books and pamphlets. From there, the abbreviation moved into general use in newspapers and other publications, and "Xmas" became an accepted way of printing "Christmas" (along with the abbreviations Xian and Xianity). Even Webster’s dictionary acknowledges that the abbreviation Xmas was in common use by the middle of the sixteenth century."

www.cresourcei.org/symbols/xmasorigin.html

[eurochick]

How is it disrespectful?

[DaddyIsHome]

I did indeed It just annoys me when I see in in a shop window where they had plenty of space and just put an X, I just dont get it.

[WaffilyVersatile]

Its only disrespectful if you are ignorant of its origin. Google it.

[AnnabelleLee]

Why? It's historically accurate. It's well documented since the 14th century but probably dates back to the 2nd century AD. x was used as a marker for Christ completely independently of Christmas, from the Greek letter chi.

Sowho cares whether you like it or not?

[Tweasels]

No you are not unreasonable for disliking it. Don't know how you would view it as disrespectful if you're not religious though.

It doesn't bother me.

What does bother me is the twats who call it kwissmass. I've seen this twice on FB this week. Ghastly!

[TanteRose]

educate yourself OP

[bundaberg]

annabelle i didn't know that! learn something new every day :)

[DaddyIsHome]

Bundaberg has got it, I didnt understand how X and Christ have any relation but now thanks to Grennie I understand it a bit more and hopefully wont be as annoyed but we dont use old difficult type writers anymore.

[vladthedisorganised]

kwissmass?

[Yellowcake]

I think it's actually a very old 'abbreviation', with X from the Greek Chi Ro symbol which is an ancient monogram for Christ. So it's not secular or disrespectful. Having said that, I personally don't like the look of it in the context of Xmas - I class it with illiteracies such as 'donuts' and 'niteclub'.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Oh, those fourteenth-century typewriters ....

[DaddyIsHome]

Im educated now and kwismass?

[BigToesofFrog]

xmas xmas xmas

I love it! I think in a slightly saddo way it is my own little way of deflating the whole stressful debacle, and kicking back at the idea that christmas is all about christ and at people who take it all so seriously. When to me it is about a midwinter party and celebration for its own sake.

The little x (lower-case is best!) is like a little kiss or sparkly star.

[Fakebook]

" but we dont use old difficult type writers anymore"

Exactly.

You might want to spell check your OP and title.

[Yellowcake]

LRD

[BigToesofFrog]

(I do realise obviously that the x also stands for Christ. I don't care, I still see it as the less pompous, less in-your-face version.)

[AndHarry]

I don't use it myself and TBH I think people don't generally think 'ah yes, I will use the medieval abbreviation with Greek roots' so YANBU.

[KhunZhoop]

I think not using a spellchecker is disrespectful to all mankind.

Merry Xmas!

[Yellowcake]

OP, there's no excuse for Kwissmass. That's from the kind of people who have a hubby and a bubba, and think everything's gawjuss.

[Gigondas]

Have no issue with Xmas. Don't get me started on crimbo though.

[DaddyIsHome]

Sorry Fakebook Im on my ipad so no spellchecker and normally punctuation goes out the window too