• About
  • Contact Us
  • PR and Advertising
  • Privacy and Disclosures
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Ben and Me

  • Home
  • Homeschool
    • Notebooking Across the USA
    • Homeschool Curriculum
    • Delight-Directed Learning
    • Unit Studies
    • Reviews
      • Curriculum Reviews
      • Product Reviews
  • Parenting
    • ADHD
    • Heart Parenting — a 10-part series based on The Christian Parenting Handbook
  • Essential Oils
    • 10 Best Essential Oils for Everyday Use
    • Essential Oil Recipes
  • Faith
  • Travel
    • Field Trips
      • Kentucky
      • Indiana
      • Florida
      • Washington DC

Make Your Other Emails Jealous

Receive our newsletters and special promotions

You are here: Home / ABC Blogging / X is for Christ (a short lesson in Greek)
I make commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more information please see our disclosures page.

X is for Christ (a short lesson in Greek)

Please share!
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

x is for Christ

 

For years, I took offense when I saw people substitute Christ’s name with the letter X. I had bought into the idea that a youth Sunday School teacher had perpetuated — non-Christians wanted to hijack our Christmas holiday, but leave Christ out of it. 

It wasn’t until my young adult years, after befriending a theology major at a local seminary, that I learned the true meaning of the X. 

It’s not really an X at all. We see it as an X, because of our English alphabet, but when used in this manner, X is actually the Greek letter “chi.”  Chi is the first letter in the word Χριστός (Christos ), which means “Christ.” X has been an acceptable shortening of the word “Christ” for nearly a thousand years, way before modern day Christians began taking offense at its use. 

In fact, The Greek letters “X” (Chi) and “p” (Rho) melded together was once a very common symbol signifying Christ and was called  the Chi-Rho. The Chi-Rho was also used by scribes to mark a passage, implying  that it was “good”.

chi rho

So the next time, someone writes Merry Xmas on a letter or card, remember that they are not “taking Christ out of Christmas.” They are simply teaching you a little Greek, and no offense is intended.

Please share!
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

ABC Blogging4 Comments

« Making Juicing a Part of Everyday Life
Top 15 Sessions (I Hope Not to Miss) at Teach Them Diligently Nashville »

Welcome

Disclosure

Ben and Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This site contains links from a number of other affiliate programs as well. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. This does not cost you any more, and it helps cover costs associated with running the website. I am very picky about the products I recommend and the companies I support. I never recommend a product I would not use myself.

Copyright © 2023 · Savory theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Savory Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

×