“Xmas” or “Christmas”? An interesting tidbit. Did YOU know?

Christmas in the post-War United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thanks to this post from Grammar Girl!

 

Many listeners have asked about the origin and appropriateness of “Xmas.”

Retailers have long been accused of secularizing Christmas by using “Xmas” in signs and advertisements; therefore, I suspect many of you will be surprised to learn that “Xmas” has a religious origin.

In Greek, the letter “chi” is written as an X, and chi is the first letter of the Greek word for “Christ.” Greeks sometimes abbreviated “Christ” as “X.” For example, they abbreviated “Christ savior” as “XP.” (“P” is the symbol for the Greek letter ”rho,” which is the first letter of the word “savior” in Greek.) TheOxford English Dictionary shows the first known English use of “Xmas” in 1551.

As for appropriateness, “Xmas” may have a religious origin and fit better on signs, but many people — both those who use “Xmas” and those who complain about its use — are unaware of the religious origin. If you choose to use “Xmas,” you should know that some people will be infuriated.

 

I know that I actually found this fascinating as I was “one” of those who NEVER dared used Xmas in place of Christmas, even if I needed to shorthand something really quick. I guess that proves we shouldn’t jump to conclusions on anything.

 

 First posted on my blog: “Xmas” or “Christmas”? An interesting tidbit

Related articles

• What We Don’t Know Can Hurt Us (butchdean.wordpress.com)
• Why Is There an X in Xmas? Isn’t It Sacrilegious? (bloggingforwisdom.wordpress.com)
• Merry Xmas! (scottsholar.com)

Ten Rules for Being Human by Cherie Carter-Scott

Ten Rules for Being Human

Inspired by: Cherie Carter-Scott

You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.

You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”

There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the   experiments that ultimately “work.”

Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

“There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”

Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

You will forget all this.

Related articles

• Life in these days and times according to Cherie (beinginlife.wordpress.com)
• Ten Rules for Being Human (liveaisha.com)

When I’m an old Lady

 

When I’m an old lady, I’ll live with each kid,

And bring so much happiness just as they did.

I want to pay back all the joy they’ve provided.

Returning each deed! Oh, they’ll be so excited!

When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

I’ll write on the walls with reds, whites and blues,

And I’ll bounce on the furniture wearing my shoes.

I’ll drink from the carton and then leave it out.

I’ll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they’ll shout!

When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

When they’re on the phone and just out of reach,

I’ll get into things like sugar and bleach.

Oh, they’ll snap their fingers and then shake their head,

When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,

I’ll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,

I’ll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,

And when they get angry I’ll run if I’m able!

When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

I’ll sit close to the TV, through channels I’ll click,

I’ll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.

I’ll take off my socks and throw one away,

And play in the mud ’til the end of the day!

When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

And later in bed, I’ll lay back and sigh,

I’ll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.

My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,

And say with a groan, “She’s so sweet when she’s sleeping!”

Reprinted from “Cajun Charm” on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002741671631

Re-post: Are You A Duck Or A Goose?

This is a great post about men being ducks and women being geese. I had to share it because it so true to life.  I am going to print a little excerpt here, but I hope you’ll go and read it. I loved it!

 

“I have often called my husband a duck. You may be asking yourself why. Well the reason is pretty simple. He just lets things roll right off of him like water off of a ducks back. He has his day to day aggravations just like the rest of us. But for the most part he just lets those things goes. At least for a while. Then the oddest thing will set him off. Then it’s {QUACK, QUACK,QUACK,QUACK}”…

 

Re-post: Are You A Duck Or A Goose?.