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"Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear,
but forgetting where you heard it."
-Laurence J. Peter
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"Read not to contradict and confute,
nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider."
-Francis Bacon
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I was going to call this "Let's get rid of the X!" and plead a case for putting "Christ"
back in and using "Christmas" instead of "Xmas". But I changed my mind after checking a
dictionary. According to Webster's New International Dictionary, the "X" in Xmas does really
mean "Christ". In fact, I learned something completely new and found that there are more
abbreviations where the X is used instead of Christ, without changing the meaning. I learned
that "xn" means "Christian" and "xnty" means "Christianity". And when looking up just the "X"
as a letter, I found it to also mean "Christ", even without the connection with the word Xmas.
And here I was, worried that the world might be starting to forget Jesus! Well, I still think there
is that tendency, but at least I know now that this is not reflected in the word "Xmas". Quite a relief.
Of course this does not mean that the whole world understands the meaning of Christmas. Ever more people only
see it as a holiday for eating big dinners and lots of sweets, and giving gifts to family and friends. Now, there
is nothing wrong with that. As long as those who profess to belong to the christian world still remember that at
Christmastime weīre supposed to remember the birth of the Saviour of the World, Jesus Christ - after whom we named
the holiday after all.
Oh, I know: At the end of December the Romans celebrated the feast of the Sun God, and that was changed into a Christian
celebration, namely of the birth of Christ. Okay, so Christ wasnīt born on the 25th of December, but some other day. Does
it matter? Not really. It is good to remember his birthday once a year. And whether we do that on the 25th of December, or
on another day, I donīt really care.
What I do care about, is the fact that even many people who are supposed to be Christians donīt pay the whole idea of the
birth of our Saviour much attention anymore. It seems more important nowadays to book a table for a Christmas dinner in
the right restaurant, make or buy the right Christmas pudding, buy the right Christmas presents, and letīs not forget:
get the right Christmas presents.
But the greatest gift of all, the atonement of Christ for all of us, seems to be forgotten ever more, as time goes by.
Naturally, we cannot expect everyone to do it right, simply because they donīt have the right background. I remember an
acquaintance of mine laughinly telling me about this December trip to Tokyo, Japan. Although most people in Japan are not
of any Christian faith at all, Japanese retailers see a market in Christmas accessories. One department store in Tokyo,
so I was told, sold something from which it was easy to tell that the Japanese designer and manufacturer had misunderstood
the whole concept of Christmas: they had a whole shelf full of little Santa Claus dolls nailed to little wooden crosses!
It is my hope that those who should know better than that, will show that at Christmas time. I myself will certainly try to.
Letīs make it a great season of appreciation for the Saviour and appreciation for one another. A season of "goodwill
to all men".
And "God bless us, everyone!"
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Disclaimer
This column is only for the purpose of entertaining, educating or
giving food for thought. Any persons, characters, countries, institutions or groups
mentioned are - as a matter of principle - fictional: any resemblance to existing ones is
purely by chance. ;-)
If the content of this column offends anyone, please accept the
columnist's apologies: no offense was intended.
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column noun
1a: a vertical arrangement of items on a page
b: a vertical section of a printed page
c: an accumulation arranged vertically
d: a department or feature (as of humor, sports,
literary reviewing, or gossip) in a newspaper or periodical, under a permanent
title and generally reflecting the writer's individual tastes and point of view.
2: a supporting pillar
3: a form, structure, or formation shaped like a column
(Webster's Dictionary.)
Relevant reads:
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Chicken Soup for the Soul at Christmas
The Holy Bible: King James Version (KJV), with concordance
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