People say or write “Xmas” mainly because it’s a long‑standing abbreviation of “Christmas” that comes from Christian Greek, and because it’s shorter and convenient in modern writing. It is not originally about “taking Christ out of Christmas,” even though some people feel that way today.

What “Xmas” Actually Means

  • The X in “Xmas” comes from the Greek letter chi, written as “Χ”, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός (Christos), meaning Christ.
  • Early Christians used chi (Χ) — often in the Chi‑Rho symbol ☧ — as a sacred abbreviation for Christ.
  • Because chi looks like the Latin letter “X,” English writers began using “X” as a shorthand for “Christ,” so “Xmas” literally means “Christ‑mas,” not something separate.

How Old Is “Xmas”?

  • Abbreviating “Christ” with “X” has been documented in English for many centuries, at least since medieval times.
  • One source notes that forms like “Xmas” (and even earlier spellings like “X’temmas”) appear in records from the 1500s, continuing a tradition that likely began even earlier with church scribes.
  • Another explanation traces the widespread use of “Xmas” as an abbreviation for “Christmas” to at least the 18th century, showing it is not a modern internet invention.

Why People Use “Xmas” Today

  • Space and convenience: “Xmas” is shorter, so it fits better on signs, cards, headlines, and text messages while still being understood as “Christmas.”
  • Digital culture: In social media, hashtags like #MerryXmas or #XmasDecor are common because shorter tags are easier to type and search.
  • Informal tone: Many people feel “Xmas” looks casual or playful, so they use it in ads or chat messages while reserving “Christmas” for more formal or religious contexts.

Why Some People Dislike “Xmas”

  • Some Christians interpret “Xmas” as “crossing out” Christ and see it as part of a trend to secularize the holiday.
  • This concern became especially visible in the mid‑20th century in certain religious and cultural debates about keeping Christmas explicitly Christian.
  • However, historians and linguists emphasize that “X” was a Christian abbreviation long before these modern arguments, so the original meaning is not anti‑religious.

Modern Forum and Trending Perspectives

  • On forums like Reddit, users commonly explain “Xmas” by pointing to the Greek origin and then add that people mostly use it now because it’s quicker and takes less space.
  • Others joke about it or speculate that non‑religious people prefer “Xmas” as a more neutral or secular‑feeling label for the December holiday season.
  • Overall, current online discussion tends to agree that while some still find “Xmas” disrespectful, most people use it casually with no intent to remove the religious aspect.

TL;DR:
“Xmas” is an old Christian‑rooted abbreviation where X stands for Christ (from Greek chi), and people keep using it today because it’s short, convenient, and widely understood, even though some see it as too secular.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.