I was a Christian. I understand the religious significance of Christmas.
I also see quite clearly the crass mercantilism of today’s Christmas.
‘Tis the season to spend money, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-laaa.’
The Christian holiday has been hollowed out… worse, hallowed out.
That it is one of many winter solstice mythologies and religions is another aspect I am not dealing with at this moment.
No, what is bugging me right now is the shorthand that predated the texting and Twitter prunings where nothing is spelled out; everything is abbreviated.
X mas – pronounced EX MAS. What is that? A has-been mass. Is that like a used-up, Catholic religious service? Perhaps it refers to ex (outside of) the body, the whole, of the masses. I can get into that. Out of the ordinary, different, unusual. Except that is not what people mean when they use it.
No. When I hear or read X-mas, I cringe at the insult to another’s religion, or worse, their own. C’mon Christians, is it about your Christ’s birthday or not? Don’t let others lull you into shortening his name to X.
Okay, it is another of my oddities. I believe words matter. Newspeak is an integral part of 1984. It happens slowly,
by degrees, 
but relentlessly …
unless we resist.