Okay, seriously, if you want to wish me a “Merry Christmas,” then please feel free to do so!
If, however, you want to wish me a “Merry Xmas,” here’s a thought ... how about shoving it up your ass?
What the hell is Xmas?!
I don’t celebrate Xmas!!
You wish me a “Merry Xmas” and I’ll probably reply “Merry Fucking Christmas!”
Okay, I’m just really pissed off at the moment because I actually had someone verbally wish me a “Merry Xmas”.
To be fair, I understand that most people mean no disrespect, but it still pisses me off! I also understand that people write a lot of Christmas cards and that people are inherently lazy, so to write Xmas instead of Christmas might be a time saver and might even help prevent carpal tunnel, but to actually say "Xmas" instead of Christmas … give me a fucking break! I mean, they’re both one syllable!!! Why the hell wouldn’t you just say Christ instead of X? Unless your intent is just to be disrespectful!
I mean, I can look the other way when it comes to something handwritten. I can understand the temptation to write Xmas. But to say it? It’s just doesn’t make any sense!
I’m the type of person that uses proper names for just about everything. I rarely ever abbreviate anything outside of addressing envelopes. I figure if something has a specific name, then it should be called by that name … especially when dealing with people’s names.
Even though that’s naturally who I am, there was a brief few days to a week in grade school I referred to Christmas as "Xmas."
Why?
To be totally honest, I thought it was cool. Let me explain that.
We live in a world where the symbolism of ‘X’ permeates our collective psyches. It can mean anything from mysterious and unknown to extreme. But no matter what its meaning, its symbolism seems to be definite.
Just stop and think of the many ways we use the letter ‘X’.
- X marks the spot. - Triple X porn (XXX) - The X Games - Generation X - X = Strike (Bowling and Baseball) - X = 10 - X out days on the calendar - X = Hugs, or is it kisses? Either way, both are eXtremely awesome to get!
Those are just a few off the top of my head.
My point? X is a pretty cool letter, especially when symbolizing the “Extreme.” That’s how I viewed it back then.
To me, "Xmas" was Christmas to the EXTREME … like the X Games.
I mean, as a kid, that’s how Christmas felt anyway. It felt like an “Extreme” holiday. It’s like everyone went all out! So it made since to me.
Not long after I started using the term “Xmas,” I was at my grandparents’ house during Christmas break. I can’t remember exactly how I used the word, I don’t know if I was writing it (like making signs) or actually saying it, but Mom (my grandma) said something that changed my view of the word.
In a loving tone, she asked, “Why would you want to take Christ out of Christmas?”
That’s it! I could never view “Xmas” the same way again.
As I grew older, I noticed that it seemed with every year that “Xmas” seemed to gain in popularity. It wouldn’t have bothered me so much if it weren’t for the fact that it seemed people also started forgetting what the holiday was really about.
Sure, most people still went to Church and still knew it was “Jesus’ birthday,” but it appeared that the commercialism of the holiday was what most people focused on, not the gift of Salvation that God gave to man through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Even though it saddened my heart to see people forget the true meaning, there’s nothing I could do. Besides, who am I to tell people how they should feel or what they should think?
Nevertheless, in ninth grade, when I was over at Greg’s one day during Christmas break, I couldn't resist.
Greg actually loved going to church and thought his future was going to be in the Church, while I hated going to church and usually fell asleep if I was made to go.
Since he was constantly referring to Christmas as Xmas, both in writing and verbally, and since I knew how he felt about his religion ... I figured that he, like me, had never gave it any thought.
So while I was over at his house talking to him while he was making out Christmas cards or making decorations (can't remember which), I noticed he always wrote Xmas. It wasn’t until he said it though that I asked, “Why do you that?”
Confused, he asked, “Do what?”
Curiously, I inquired, “Why do you refer to Christmas as Xmas? You do know that by doing that you’re taking Christ out of Christmas?”
With a look of sudden realization, he said, “I never thought about it before, but you’re right.”
I don’t think I’ve ever heard Greg call it Xmas since.
The truth is, it does sadden me to see people forget what the true meaning of Christmas is really about, but I know there’s nothing I can do about it.
But on the other hand, it also really pisses me off when someone wishes me a “Merry Xmas” because I think it’s being disrespectful.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Atheist or whatever … it pisses me off.
It pisses me off when a Christian does it because they should know better!
It pisses me off when someone of a different Faith does it because I find it very disrespectful. I don’t ask people to wish me a “Merry Christmas,” so when someone of a different Faith goes out of their way to wish me, but calls it “Xmas” … I find it very disrespectful.
I think to myself, “Maybe I’ll fuck up the names of their holidays and see how well they like it.” Then I can hear Mom (my grandma) saying, “That’s not the Christian thing to do.”
So then I think, “Just CHOOSE not to get angry or upset.”
That’s easier said than done because it takes constant conscious attention to avoid reacting how I normally would. Even though, I still do my best to just let it go.
Like I said before, I know MOST people don’t mean any disrespect. Plus, most people I’ve encountered in life that have wished me a “Merry Xmas” are actually Christian, which I’m guessing means they’re not being disrespectful but instead are just really ignorant.
So, even though from time to time I might get upset when I’m not thinking and just react, even if you wish me a “Merry Xmas,” I’m still going to wish you a “Merry CHRISTmas!”
