‘Tis time to start to think about Xmas again

Why is there a Christmas at all?

‘Tis a long story but it’s all about the council of Nicene and Constantine and the first Ecumenical Council.

Around the year 325AD ("In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ") which was the new calendar that was set by the Council (the Catholic Church) and the year that the council set started on January first. Prior to that time the beginning of the year was on March first at the Vernal Equinox and that date was maintained by the Astrologers, not the Church.

To make matters a bit worst the Church set a year to be 365 days long. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII corrected the calendar to the closer time frame of 365.242 days long, whom the modern calendar is named after (Gregorian), also established a system to prevent the accumulation from developing all over again. Every four years divisible by four would continue to be a leap year but years divisible by 100 would not, unless they are also divisible by 400. The year 2000 was one of these special years that comes once every four centuries. 2000 is divisible by 100 but also divisible by 400 and therefore it is designated as a leap year, still not agreeing with Astrology at all.

The council also set into perpetuity another date because of that change to start the year on January first from March first and out of the control of the Astrologers, that was the date of December 25. In those times it was the custom for one to not be deemed a person unless the baby lived a week. Therefore Constantine said that he wanted the seven days before the start of the year to have a Mass done to celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ was born into this world.

Therefore, the world got the Christ Mass on December 25 forever, and the spending of bucks on gifts to celebrate that fact.

Why Xmas? Because we in the English language abbreviate things and the ‘X’ stands for a cross and a Cross is a recognized symbol for Jesus Christ, just as Christmas is an abbreviation for the Christ Mass of the Church.

Comments: 17

L. H. Nov 1, 2009, 5:06am EST

That's interesting and thanks ::)

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joseph k. Nov 1, 2009, 7:49am EST

that is interesting thanks i think i will keep this

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Chuck L. Nov 1, 2009, 7:59am EST

"X" also explains the fish symbol. In Greek (the lingua franca of the day), "X" stood for "chi," and "chi" was the first sound in the name of Christ. Christianity was a banned religion in many places, so meetings were held in secret, with the doorways of the meeting place being marked with an "X" (which may also explain the western world's tendency to mark things with an "X"). Eventually, authorities caught on, so the "X" became the gill mark in a fish symbol. Thus, X-mas, Xtians, etc. Those who would "put Christ back in Christmas" do not realize he already is... in X-mas. We no longer accept symbology as information, as they did back in the day.

Rory H. Nov 1, 2009, 10:36pm EST

Good Reply, in a world where literacy was low. Abbreviated symbols was/is a simplified language. There is an old book I saw that had them in it. Literally a picture book, that most of Europe used to communicate. Later this symbolic language was brought over to the US. If you look at our paper money there are quite a few of these symbols still on our dollar, because more understood the symbols then they understood the writing.

Kerrell g. Nov 3, 2009, 5:36pm EST

Agreed. There are some people that, no matter how well you explain history, will be their noses bent out of whack. Jesus used parables to teach because not everyone could afford education.

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lena k. Nov 1, 2009, 9:17am EST

interesting

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Dorothy H. Nov 1, 2009, 10:18am EST

X marks the spot.

I love learning about stuff like this.

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Dan (open minded conservative) K. Nov 1, 2009, 10:37am EST

Is it really that much trouble to spell out "Christmas". Is it really necessary to remove the entire reason for the day from its name?

Say whatever you like, the "X" is lazy, disrespectful and insulting.

Richard B. Nov 1, 2009, 3:43pm EST

Opinions are just opinions.

We of the English Language have always used short cuts in the spelling of words like Christmas being shortened from ‘a Mass celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ was born into this world, on the seventh day before the New Year date of January 1 every year’ just to show the Pagans that the Catholic Church can do that, to the fake made up word name Christmas.