Wednesday, December 5, 2012

What's an Xmas?

A good friend of mine posted on Facebook the other day that he was out getting some xmas clothes for his son. Well...needless to say...being the somewhat funny jerk of a friend that I am, I started razzing him about his choice of the word "Xmas" instead of typing Christmas.

I must admit....the exchange between he and me was quite humorous, but we do at times pick pretty hard at each other...but we have been friends for well over 20 years, so I think we can handle it.

In his defense, though I think it's a pretty flimsy one, he was in a store chasing around a VERY active and curious 1 year old boy, and he said Xmas was easier to type on his phone than Christmas.

That is true...Xmas is much easier to type, but it lacks something. It just looks like somethings missing. It kind of reminds me of a math equation....(you know, the whole X equals Y junk?) and anyone who knows me will tell you...I hate math!

The more spiritual or religious types may tell you that it is a shadowing of our lives. How so easily and conveniently we can leave Christ out of the conversation. I can see some validity in their argument, and I must admit....my mind did go there for a moment. Probably mostly due to my many years spent in a ultra-religious and judgmental state of mind.

However, I think for the most point....we just need to get over it.

Carlos Whitaker had a humorous post a few years ago that I wanted to share with you.

"Top 9 Reasons Why It's Ok to Say Merry XMAS!"
1. I love baby Jesus too but he didn't name Christmas…Christmas. We did.
2. If this offends you then I suggest you change your greeting to “May you have the most joyous season of celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. It is less confusing than Merry Christmas.
3. I find it more insulting that people get mad at Bart Millard for saying Xmas and have no idea that the pagan origins of their gift exchanges started in ancient Babylon when the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.
4. I’m thinking we should celebrate Christmas when it actually happened. More or less around September.
The shepherds were not tending their sheep in the middle of a Judean winter. I promise.
5. I’m not taking Christ out of Christmas when I say Xmas… I am giving more attention to the word “mas” which in the true language of God means “more”
6. I love Jesus. If you are concerned with people seeing a Christian take “Christ” out of the word “Christmas” let’s just say it Merry Jesusmas so that everybody will get it.
7. On twitter it is a much better way of saving your character count.
8. Let’s face it.  Jesus is the X Factor! What A Better Way To Say It!!!
9. I hate lists of 10 so I’m gonna stop at 9…Or really 8.
So....there you have it. I like it...I think I will start using that one myself. Right now as a matter of fact.

I hope you have a Very Merry Jesusmas!

What do you think of the whole XMAS vs. Christmas debate?