The term “Giáng sinh” in Vietnamese translates to “Christmas” in English. However, many people simply write it as “Xmas.” Why is that?
First, you need to understand the word Christmas – the Christmas celebration – which is a combination of two words: Christ and Mass. Here, Christ (also transliterated as Ki-tô) refers to the Anointed One, a term used by ancient Jews to denote the one sent by God to save His people, which in modern language is understood as the Savior, specifically referring to Jesus Christ. The term Mas is short for Mass, meaning a holy service.
Thus, Christmas signifies the holy day of Christ, marking the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, who redeemed humanity, according to Christian beliefs.
Origin of the Term Xmas
But why do people use Xmas instead of Christmas, effectively replacing Christ with the letter X? The reason is that the word Christ in English derives from the Greek word Χριστός (pronounced Khrīstos), which starts with the letter X. Therefore, writing Xmas is actually an abbreviation utilizing the initial consonant of the Greek word Christ.
Xmas emerges as a widely used symbol for Christmas.
Scholars have not definitively established when Xmas began to be used as a substitute for Christmas. However, documents indicate that the term started to gain popularity from the early centuries AD, with some scholars suggesting it became common in the 13th century.
By the 15th century, Xmas appeared as a widely accepted abbreviation for Christmas. After Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1436, the church began printing documents and theological books using this technology. At that time, printing was done manually and was quite expensive. To minimize costs, people tried to write more concisely, and the term Xmas was adopted in printed materials instead of Christmas.
After Xmas appeared in official religious texts, this abbreviation became even more widespread.
What Does the Phrase “Merry Christmas” Mean?
Although Christmas celebrations began in the 4th century, the phrase Merry Christmas did not appear until 1699 when a naval officer used it in a friendly letter. The phrase made its second appearance in 1843 in Charles Dickens’ work – “A Christmas Carol.”
During the Christmas holiday, not only Christians but also the majority of people exchange greetings of Merry Christmas. In this phrase, Merry means joy. The meaning of Christmas is as explained above but also refers to the flock of God (as used in Old English). The word Merry inspires feelings of joy and warmth, associated with the Christmas celebration.
Some people use the word Happy instead of Merry for Christmas greetings. The phrase Happy Christmas became popular worldwide in the 19th century when it was used by Queen Elizabeth II.
