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Show XMAS OK CHRISTMAS? . A good deal has been said for , and against the usage of the word Xmas instead in-stead of Christmas, yet few people seem to know the origin of the abbreviation or even that it is an abbreviation. X represents the Greek symbol Chi, whieh is, as nearly as the sound of one language can be interpreted in another, the same as our two letters C and H. It is therefore the initial or abbreviation of the name Christ. . . : An impression seems to have got about that the X was the cross symbol, and therefore incongruous in combination combina-tion with so joyful a season as that of Christ 's - birth, and this idea . has . been advanced as an argument against its use. The only real objection to Xmas that I can see is that m some persons' eyes an abbreviation of any sacred name seems lacking in reverence. - As opposed to this we may note the bishop s - seal,'- which is also . used a freat deal in ecclesiastical decorations, his is the monogram X and PP, -apparent!. Beally it is a combination of the Chi again, and Bo (the Greek symbol sym-bol for" R,) making the first three (in English) or first two (in Greek) letters let-ters of the name Christ " |