From: Dean FH Macy
Organization: New England Talent, Ltd. - Epilogue Records
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: X in Christmas?
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

"David Menzies" wrote:

> . . .I have gotten out of the horrible habit of using the 'X', which as you say has absolutely no
> place in a word such at Christmas! It is entirely something which the businesses have
> drummed into our heads. Shame on us.
>
Many years ago when I was a little choir boy in New York the X-mas thing reared it's ugly head. I
was told the Jewish shopkeepers who didn't want to use the word Christ used an X instead so they
could make a buck on our Christmas.

Later on, as I was older I was one of the campaigners to put Christ back in X-mas, not realizing
that the X was not the English X but a Greek letter representing CHI. When I revealed this bit of
knowledge to my priest he said, "Of course. What do you think the superimposed P in the X on our
banners stand for?" I never thought about it until he asked and then realized it meant Christ. I
suddenly felt badly that I had comdemned the Jewish shopkeepers in error, especially since I had an
honorary Bar Mitzvah (long story).

About 20 years ago I listened to a similar discussion of this in a religious conference where the
speaker said that Christ had died on the same date of his birth, that being April 6th and that when
we think of X-mas to remember that the X is a cross which ties Easter and Christmas together.

So today I usually spell out Christmas but when I'm in a hurry I use Xmas. So far I have not been
struck by lightning so I guess it's okay.

--
Dean FH Macy, Lit.D./Mus.D.
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"Specializing in Management of exceptionally talented youth in Music"
EPI Records - NetWork Films
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