Celebrating Xmas?

[sedgewick]

Will you be celebrating Xmas?

Will you be a hypocrite and embrace all of its glory and celebrate the birth of Christ even though you have written religion off in the "Is there a God" thread?

Or do you denounce religion and ignore it and see it as being nothing more tha a commercial opportunity for retailers?

Xmas is the only date in the Christian calendar worth bothering with because you give to receive?

Where do you sit on the Xmas tree?

BTW Merry Xmas East Dulwich Forum and I wish you all a Happy New Year......

[Mick Mac]

Call it what you want I will be having a good time and don't know what any of it has got to do with religion .

[felt-tip]

I will be celebrating the winter solstice 4 days late. i do it every year. dont ask me why.

[????]

Why?

[????]

To answer Sedgewicks original point.

There were pagan and other religious ceremonies to celebrate the winter solstice throughout history and way before christ. Traditionally the depths of winter when it was often frozen, the days are very short , so there was little time or need to do anything on the land, and the harvest surplus was starting to go rotten (ditto grain for the livestock was running low) so it was a good time for slaughtering and stuffing one's self with surplus before the lean times approaching (coincidentally christianity invented Lent for this). Christianity just tagged on to a pagan festival.

The real question is why do Christians continue to celebrate Christs birthday at a time of the year when both historically (Herod's census wasn't in December) and astronomically (the star) its been proven wasn't his birthday?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Isn't Xmas the name used by non-Christians who celebrate the holiday? Otherwise you would go with Christmas

[felt-tip]

There is always a bank holiday on the 25th. THATS why I celebrate winter solstice 4 days late.

[????]

Not if the 25th is a Saturday or Sunday

*Sticks out Pedant's tongue

[RosieH]

What Quids said.

Christmas rocks, in all its bacchanalian splendour: my tree is trimmed, my door is wreathed, my gin is sloed, my larder is abundant, I have imposed Wombling Merry Christmas on all and sundry and I don't intend to stop yet.

I wonder about this notion of hypocrisy. sedgewick, I shan't ask if you're a Christian, it's none of my business. I'm an atheist (although someone recently suggested pagan, such is my love of festivity), but the C of E way I was taught it, Jesus was excellent, compassionate, kind, loving, and moreover, he didn't judge - I think he'd be pretty chuffed that everyone's being nice to each other, thinking about others, feeling happy, spreading the love, whether they do it in his name or not, no?

[ImpetuousVrouw]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> To answer Sedgewicks original point.

>

> There were pagan and other religious ceremonies to

> celebrate the winter solstice throughout history

> and way before christ. Traditionally the depths of

> winter when it was often frozen, the days are very

> short , so there was little time or need to do

> anything on the land, and the harvest surplus was

> starting to go rotten (ditto grain for the

> livestock was running low) so it was a good time

> for slaughtering and stuffing one's self with

> surplus before the lean times approaching

> (coincidentally christianity invented Lent for

> this). Christianity just tagged on to a pagan

> festival.

>

> The real question is why do Christians continue to

> celebrate Christs birthday at a time of the year

> when both historically (Herod's census wasn't in

> December) and astronomically (the star) its been

> proven wasn't his birthday?

So you were listening to Radio 4 this morning too?

[Brendan]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Isn't Xmas the name used by non-Christians who

> celebrate the holiday? Otherwise you would go with

> Christmas

No it was an old Christian Greek abbreviation.

Midwinter festivals probably go back to the beginning of agricultural societies where it was important to mark points in the calendar so you knew when to plant your geese and kill your apples.

The tradition of bringing trees inside is in evidence going back to Roman times.

Father Christmas is actually the Germanic god Woden (or Oden in North Germanic). Ironically today his image is probably more prolific and universally recognisable than Christ?s.

The truth is no matter which religion had chosen to piggyback on it we would still be celebrating Christmas or something like it at this time of year.

And really, what the fuck else would we do for the last week of the year? Work? Stuff that.

[paragon]

Defo celebrating. People give me free stuff and there is loads of amazing food knocking around.

[????]

ImpetuousVrouw Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ???? Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > To answer Sedgewicks original point.

> >

> > There were pagan and other religious ceremonies

> to

> > celebrate the winter solstice throughout

> history

> > and way before christ. Traditionally the depths

> of

> > winter when it was often frozen, the days are

> very

> > short , so there was little time or need to do

> > anything on the land, and the harvest surplus

> was

> > starting to go rotten (ditto grain for the

> > livestock was running low) so it was a good

> time

> > for slaughtering and stuffing one's self with

> > surplus before the lean times approaching

> > (coincidentally christianity invented Lent for

> > this). Christianity just tagged on to a pagan

> > festival.

> >

> > The real question is why do Christians continue

> to

> > celebrate Christs birthday at a time of the year

>

> > when both historically (Herod's census wasn't

> in

> > December) and astronomically (the star) its

> been

> > proven wasn't his birthday?

>

>

> So you were listening to Radio 4 this morning too?

er, no, I never listen to Radio 4...it's hardly a revelation is it???

[Brendan]

Why do you assume we know so much about your radio listening habits?

[????]

I'm perplexed now...you started on the xmas Sherry already?

[Brendan]

Yep. Just quickly drinking lunch at my desk then I have to triplicate the final post run for the invoiced treasurers or something to do with my budget befroe the end of the day or Wendy isn't going to to pleased. Then I'm going to the pub.

[????]

Send Wendy my love but don't mention the stationery cupboard Xmas 1989

[Brendan]

You can probably stop worrying about that now. Nobody has a VHS player anymore.

[binary_star]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Isn't Xmas the name used by non-Christians who

> celebrate the holiday? Otherwise you would go with

> Christmas

Sadly not. Wish it was though, that would be rather handy! I'm celebrating seeing family and having loads of free time off work.

[Tarot]

The X is used im front of mass, to abbrevtate it.

The X represents the cross of Christ, as do other symbols like the fish,hence Christians use xmas or Christmas.

[Brendan]

Nope.

The X is an old Latin use of the Greek X (chi) to abbreviate it.

[felt-tip]

i always thought it derived from kriss-kross.

[Tarot]

Christmas and XmasThe greek letter Chi ('x') is the first letter for the greek word for Christ, Xristos. Xmas therefore means "Christ's Mass" The abbreviation has been around since the 16th century.

Christmas to Xmas X\was first used by Europeans in the 16th century as an abbreviated form of Christmas. They got the X from the Greek word for Christ, which is Xristos.

Additional Input

?The XMAS was a result of persecutions of Christians in early in 2nd and 3rd century AD when it was illegal to worship or to even write the word Christ.

?The word Xmas is a commonly used abbreviation for Christmas. The "X" in Xmas comes from the word "Χριστός," which means "Christ" in Greek. Xmas is a combination of the "X" from "Χριστός" and the "mas" ending of Christmas, which means mass.

?Xmas is an easier term for Christmas, we use it because it is easier to spell and say. Because it is Christian shorthand for Christmas, the X standing for Christ.

?Way back when, Greek was the language of Christianity. The New Testament was written in Greek. Greek was and is written using the Greek alphabet, not the alphabet we use. You can still see traces of it in old symbols and phrases still used, like calling God 'the alpha and the omega' meaning 'the beginning and the end' because alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and omega is the last. It's like calling him the A to Z.

?Another place you might still find Greek in use in modern western Christianity is the Ichthys or fish symbol. You'll have seen it somewhere, it's the classic fish shape that people sometimes use to show they're Christian. You can look up its history somewhere else, but it's called an Ichthys because that is Greek for fish. Why a fish as a symbol of Christianity? Because 'Ichthys' stands for Iēsous Khristos Theou Huios, Sōtēr = Jesus Christ God's Son, Saviour. The 'ch' in Ichthys stands for Christ, and the Greek letter used to mean 'ch' looks a lot like an X.

?Similarly, the 'Chi-Rho' symbol that looks like an 'X' superimposed over a 'P' is actually the Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P) which are the first letters in Christ's name. This symbol, like the fish, is almost as old as the Cross symbol got Christianity and can be found eveb in the early Chritian Church catacombs in Rome, scratched on the walls. The co-incidence that the 'X' Chi letter also looks like a cross helped it being adopted to replace 'Christ'.

?So, from ancient times Christians have used the Greek letter that looks like an X as an abbreviation of 'Christ'. For the last few centuries, people have used an actual X instead, particularly if they don't know Greek. So, 'Christians' is abbreviated to 'Xians', 'Christ' is abbreviated to 'X' and 'Christmas' is abbreviated to 'Xmas'. This is useful when people want a shorter way of writing something, and is a reminder of Christianity's roots.

?The word 'Xmas' should never be pronounced 'Ex-mass' as the 'X' in it is not the letter 'X' in our alphabet. The letter is actually the Greek letter Chi "χ" (which looks like an 'X' ) which is the first letter of the Greek word 'Christos' meaning 'Christ'." Therefore 'X-mas' should be pronounced simply 'Christmas' because that is exactly what it is.

?Well...long ago a man and his friends despised Christ and was against him. When Christmas came along, they had the idea. Christmas has "Christ" begining the word. The friends were so mad they went around saying "x"-mas. Which is to cross out Christ in "Christ"mas.

?The greek letter 'x' is the first letter for the greek word for Christ, Xristos. Xmas therefore means "Christ's Mass" The "X" in "Xmas" is meant to block out "Christ" as in "Christmas." Among many religious communities the use of this word is looked upon with disdain and completely warps the point of Christmas (the celebration of Christ's birthday). The "X" in "Xmas" represents the Greek letter chi, which is the initial letter of Christos - the Greek for Christ. Christians came to use X as a symbol, and it crept into the English language as a shorthand. From there it became more generally used.

?Xian for Christian and Xmas for Christmas are customary shorthand when religious writers are writing articles and books, and it gets "corrected" by the typesetters. Xmas, or in some cases X-mas, is an easier way to write Christmas. So in many ways, the X in Xmas stands for Christ. Christmas is sometimes called xmas because Χ, or Chi, is the first letter of the Greek spelling of Christ: Χριστός

?The Greek word for Christ begins with the letter Chi, which is written identical to the roman letter X. So, as a form of shorthand, some people replace "Christ" with the first letter of his Greek name, X. Note that this abbrevation for Christmas came about long before cell-phone text messaging, though the latter has greatly increased the usage of the former.

?The most common explanation is that X or Xt is a symbol, or shorthand, for Christ (compare the abbreviation Xian or Xtian for Christian). This use presumably arose because of the crucifixion (?) Some Christians object to it because they interpret it as 'crossing Christ out'. X is the Greek letter for Chi which for centuries was the accepted abbreviation for Christmas and for Christians.

?"The shorthand version of Jesus Christ in Christianity, as in X-mas etc. Written oaths and other contracts were once made valid by writing on them an Χ for Christ and then kissing it, so the letter chi (and Roman ex) came to stand for both a kiss and a signature."

?Simply because its shorter and easier to fit on cards.Sort of: it's the first letter in Χριστός, the Greek spelling of Christ. Nothing. They are the same holiday. It is simply an attempt to remove Christ from Christmas. It is a Holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ so removing Christ makes some people think this will remove the religious aspect of the holiday.

?X is the English representation of the Greek letter Chi, which is used in Greek to represent Christos, or Christ. Xmas therefore literally translates to Christ-mas.

?Xmas (or X-mas ) is an abbreviation for Christmas . It is derived from the word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, transliterated as Christos , which is Greek for Christ . Greek is the language in which the whole New Testament was written. Originally, in "Xmas", X represented the Greek letter χ (see chi ). It was pronounced with an aspirated [khi], which is the first letter of Christ's name in Greek. An upper-case χ has the same shape as a Latin alphabet letter X, hence the abbreviation "Xmas".

?X was used as a short hand symbol as Christ was crucified on the cross. It was actually religious clerics that started the practice in the middle ages and it in no way is a slur on Jesus, Christ, Lord and any other variation. The X in Xmas is actually the greek letter Chi, which was a common abbreviation of Kristos, Christ's name.

.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_Christmas_also_known_as_Xmas#ixzz18Nwp1Bvb

[daizie]

god you are boring

[Brendan]

What are you having a go at god for?