There are many who view the word Xmas as part of an overall “war on Christmas.” They view it as a blatant attempt to take Christ out of Christmas. While it is undeniable that some use Xmas in that manner, the actual origin of the word Xmas has nothing to do with taking Christ out of Christmas.

In Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the word for “Christ” is Χριστός, which begins with the Greek letter that is essentially the same letter as the English letterX. So, originally, Xmas was simply an abbreviation of Christmas. No grand conspiracy to take Christ out of Christmas. Just an abbreviation.

But there is no denying that there is a trend to, in a sense, take Christ out of Christmas. In pursuit of tolerance, inclusiveness, and political correctness, some are attempting to obscure the Christian origins of Christmas—as if our society’s materialism has not already obscured the meaning of Christmas. Whether they refer to it as “Xmas” or “the winter holidays” or something else, some will not be satisfied until the celebration is entirely secularized. In response to this, rather than getting angry or complaining about the use ofXmas, we should be sharing the love of Christ through word and deed.