It’s Merry Christmas! Find Out What Xmas Really Means

It’s Merry Christmas! Find Out What Xmas Really Means But do you really know what is meant by using the Term Merry XMas?

It’s Merry Christmas! Find Out What Xmas Really Means

Maybe even what the letter X is in Greek or even what the labarum or Chi-Rho is? #Xmas #Labarum #ChiRho

It's Merry Christmas! Find Out What Xmas Really Means But do you really know what is meant by using the Term Merry XMas? Maybe even what the letter X is in Greek or even what the labarum or Chi-Rho is? #Xmas #Labarum #ChiRho
Written labarum

I guess this just gets to me to be forced to say Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings etc. Or even saying Merry Xmas. Christmas is more that just a holiday. It is about the virgin birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In my opinion, these other sayings remove Christ from it. Let’s stand up as Christians and still say …

Merry ChristMas!

Don’t be shamed. Stand up for God. He is after all the one we have to answer to in the end. I am more afraid of dishonoring God than man.

What is Xmas? ΧΡ

Using Xmas dates back to the 16th Century.

The X, known as the, labarum, often called Chi-Rho. This is a Christian symbol and claims to be a symbol that means Christ (Χριστός – ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ). In order for it to become a labarum, it must have two Greek letters that overlap each other, such as the “ΧΡ”.

Find out what Xmas really means and what XP (labarum – Chi-Rho) means too. #Xmas Click To Tweet

Χχ (Chi) & Ρρ (Rho)

The letter “Χχ” comes from the Greek word Chi. Which is the first part of Christ. The word -mas is from Latin word mass. Then Christ was either written XP or XT. The letter “Ρρ” is Rho. Together those letters for the labarum, as shown in this blog post.

Even now some people will say Merry Christ-Mas, saying Christ and mas instead of Chris and mas.  Nevertheless, I still prefer to still call out Christ in Christmas. That is the most important part of it. The first 6 letters … CHRIST!

I like how this church sign reads you cannot spell Christmas without Christ.

Also note that when we say Happy Holidays we are actually saying Happy Holy Days!

But for me, I will always and prefer to say Merry ChristMas. I just wanted everyone to know what Xmas meant. When ever you hear someone wish you a Merry XMas remember they are trying to do Greek for Christ. They might even know that the “Χχ” is short for Christ in Greek.

I even wrote about this in my 2010 issue of Patterson Post. (Post 2010) But felt led to share in my blog about this. This was also posted December 5, 2013 on Courageous Christian Father and also last republished/updated December 12, 2023.

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Author: Steve Patterson

A Christian Blogger that enjoys blogging about the Bible, Theology, God, Jesus Christ, Christian Music, Family, Cats, Odd Holidays, sewing and much more. I have been blogging since 2004, however, I have been blogging on Courageous Christian Father since 2012. I enjoy listening to Christian Music. I am married with 1 daughter, 2 step-sons and a step daughter.

95 thoughts on “It’s Merry Christmas! Find Out What Xmas Really Means

  1. I always say happy holidays because there are so many religious holidays and I want to include everyone with this one gesture. Besides where does this say Merry Christmas anywhere in the Bible and if you have a real smart person who knows about Christian history they will ask show me that Jesus was born in December. No gospetl tells you.

  2. When we pray and worship God or have a party for Him…where in the Bible does it say it is wrong when He is the focus? Everyone knows Jesus was not born in December…but there are 2 times in a year when people will accept seeing Jesus name everywhere..hearing about Him..and it is a good witnessing tool. What is wrong with celebrating His birth and telling people about Him? What is wrong with family coming to church and hearning about Him, when most of they year they ignore Him? Can’t the Holy Spirit turn it into something good? Why do people jump up and down saying it began as a pagan thing, when christians don’t all treat it as pagan? Where in the Bible does it say we cannot have a special day for Him? People continually say christmas is about worshipping a tree…what is worshipping about just having one? It smells good, looks good, brightens up the house, makes the house look special….who worships it? It is there for a purpose…to make a home look festive..shall we call candles and everything else in a home that is for decoration …can we say they are all being worshipped?? There are artificial trees with pretty lights that cheer up a home so people don’t have to cut down a tree..so please, tell me where all of this is forbidden in the Bible? Spending time with family, singing songs….having a special meal..exchanging gifts? Where is it forbidden in the Bible?

  3. consider that Jesus gave great authority to His 12 apostles, assuring them that they will hold positions of great importance and responsibility in His Kingdom (Matthew 18:18 Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29-30). But since Jesus never taught His apostles to keep Christmas, nor did they ever teach it to the Church though they had years of opportunity to do so, shouldn’t that make us question whether Christmas is something Jesus really wants or appreciates?

  4. So, if everyone is celebrating christmas..with santa and this and that..we should do nothing except point fingers at them and tell them it is pagan etc….we should not try to use it to tell people what others made it for…the birth of the person who came to save them etc? Nowadays, with everything becoming so illegal..not being able to speak out about much or speak the Bible etc etc….while it is still legal for people to sing at christmas..although that is being stopped….wouldn’t it behoove us to use the opportunity to speak the good news? Do people who are against others using christmas as a witnessing tool, put as much store on obeying Jesus in all the things He told us to..like His commandments…instead of telling others how wrong it is to celebrate christmas with non believers where they are able to to speak about Jesus more?…when that is not mentioned in the Bible? If Christmas was celebrated at the right time of the year would that be more acceptable? I think todays christians really look for more and more opportunities to tell other christians what not to do…and christmas is something that is not even in the Bible…..it is an area that is twisted and turned to point fingers and find fault with so many others. Yes, we must be careful to not border on pagan things….but my goodness, life is pretty pagan if we really look at it..and christians have almost no opportunities to speak about Him or testify or anything else anymore.

  5. Jesus never told His followers to celebrate Christmas, but He did warn us not to adhere to false, man-made religious doctrines: “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7
    The truth is, Christmas and other non-biblical religious holidays constitute vain or empty worship of Christ.

  6. If we are worshiping God nothing we do goes in vain. Christmas is form of Worship where we celebrate our Saviors birth. Just like Easter we celebrate Him dying for our sins and arose from the dead conquering death.

    1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

  7. History shows that Christmas does not represent Christ. It misrepresents sound biblical teaching and is in opposition to God’s truth. God wants us to worship Him in truth (John 4:23-24), not fable.

  8. I wonder what the difference would be if we celebrated Jesus birth every week or His death every week…..seems to me the only difference would be the tree and the decorations…..yet they are not idols unless we treat them as such

  9. Not everyone celebrates Christmas the way you think they do. Christmas means Christ mass a celebration of Christ. We worship Him in truth! We worship all He has done for us including His virgin birth!

  10. Can you imagine the retailers and churches would make out like bandits. I was a church musician for 40 years. We use to call those extra people that came to church C and Es because they only came at Christmas and Easter. Our revenue is always up at this time

  11. Deuteronomy 12:28-32, God told His people to worship only in the ways He commanded, telling them “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” He explicitly ordered them not to copy or adopt the religious practices of the pagans, calling such practices “abomination [ s ] … which He hates.”

    Yet hundreds of millions of men, women and children unwittingly observe Christmas, not knowing or caring from where it came. They assume that 2 billion Christians can’t be wrong or that it doesn’t matter how we worship God so long as our intentions are good. But why should we think we honor God or please Him when we worship contrary to His commands?

  12. Lol Cindy..@ C and E’s..yes..2 times a year when they come and their ears take in stories etc about Jesus..when they pay no mind at any other time..but cannot the Holy Spirit use any crack in someones hear and mind to let Jesus get in? Maybe not this year or 20 years..but maybe one year. Isn’t 2 times a year better than no times? Most christians do not exchange expensive gifts..i think if retailers were hoping to get rich on what a christian spends, they would shut up shop. It is a good time to give a christian gift or something that is not frivolous.

  13. What is actually pagan about how christians celebrate Jesus? Yes, whatever He commanded..but you said He did not tell us to celebrate His birth or to not celebrate it? Most christians do not worry about what Jesus commanded us to do..His commandments….adding to and taking from them has been the norm….for most.

  14. nowhere in the pages of scripture do we find a command to keep the celebration of Christmas. Nowhere in the pages of scripture do we find an example of any disciple keeping Christmas. It was actually never celebrated by believers in Messiah until sometime after 300AD.

  15. Yes, there are still pagan religious practices today in certain churches..and in some ways, perhaps some people may put more pagan into christmas..but not all…I mean I don’t care about christmas itself much…just the food that only seems to show up at christmas..or easter lol….if it was around all year I would be fine. I like it that sometimes we see a christian bible pic on the tv at those 2 times in a year..but that doesn’t worry me much because i have christian tv. As for going out and partying..nope, I don’t….church on christmas eve or day? Not unless the Sabbath falls on christmas day..then it is sabbath..maybe with the story of Jesus Birth or something….i like the christian songs on tv at christmas and easter..but then again, I can hear them on you tube….I usually spend christmas and easter by myself as most of my friends are not believers…and I don’t spend a lot of time with them anyway….but those 2 days are usually nice and quiet..which makes a nice change lol.

  16. Yeah I know Cindy…but, again…He did not say to do it..but there is really nothing that says to not do it….there are a few texts people use to say people should not do it…but again…..more should be pointing out what IS commanded in the Bible…..than trying to convince some of something being wrong when it is not in the Bible…..that is my point……as well as using this time of year to talk about Jesus to those who never usually want to hear….this time of year and easter are good tools…..

  17. t seems to me that true believers should be teaching the unbelievers the true way of Yahweh rather than the unbelievers teaching believers these pagan customs and practices. But Christians of former times not only learned these heathen ways, they also incorporated them into their worship.
    When Paul was writing to the Ephesians, he said: Ephesians 5:11 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

    So we shouldn’t be trying to copy idolatrous feasts. Rather, we should be exposing them for the fraud and lie that they are. One of the last things our Savior would ever want is to “acquire the traits of solar deities” and believers should not be imitating pagans.

    So when was His birthday? The scriptures do not supply us with an exact date of birth.

  18. we have no evidence Messiah was born on December 25th. Instead, December 25th is the birthday of numerous pagan idols. Why would we want to put the holy Messiah in with them? He is holy, a word which means “set apart.” He is not like them at all! And He doesn’t want to be associated with them or the customs of those who worship them.

  19. You may wonder what is so bad about it. You may say, “Oh but what about the children? They would feel left out if I didn’t celebrate Christmas.” But what should we be teaching our children? Truth or lies? Conformity to the world when the world is wrong or a rejection of worldly things that are rooted in idolatry?

  20. You said all true believers should be teaching unbelievers about the true way….when you came to join, I went to check out your page to see if you were muslim or something..like I do everyone…..I could not tell you were a believer at all by your timeline or interests etc on your page or about you…there was..and is..not one thing there that tells anyone you follow Him…or anything….It was not really until today that I discovered you were are believer…..

  21. Cindy…..the santa teaching is idolatory and lies…….christians do not teach that..to anyone…….there is satans teaching at christmas..and a believers teaching and celebration……i dunno which came first..i just know i loathe santa and all that crap

  22. Cindy..I have said a couple of times already….the Bible does not teach for or against..it tells us about idolatory etc etc..but those things do not seem to fit what the true christians do at christmas…….or do you think they do what everyone else does….accept santa etc

  23. Cindy where is a lot of things in the Bible? Is it wrong to go to church and worship Him at any time?? Is it wrong to have a family get together with a special meal????? Is it wrong to exchange a gift or 2????

  24. God tells us in 1 John 2:15-17
    “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

  25. Cindy, even Jesus said there was so much that could not be put into tthe Bood that He had said..there are a lot of things not fully explained or even mentioned.

    1. Umm I never heard of it until i saw a post on your page lol…must be some foreigners thingy lol…I was just saying..and trying to point out..since you are pointing things out..that I never saw one reference to God on your FB page when I had to figure out if you should come into the group or not…I go to peoples pages to see if they are believers or muslims or just want to advertise their business etc….I had to take a chance with you because I could find nothing anywhere on your FB that told me you were a believer.

  26. The very foundation of the Christmas holiday is a lie. The Messiah was not born December 25th. He did not ask us to celebrate his birthday. He did not say to set up a tree in our house and decorate it and our houses with anything. Santa Claus does not exist. He doesn’t have reindeer that fly and he isn’t going to come down anyone’s chimney on December 25th and leave any gifts. Everything is a lie.

  27. 1Corinthians 10:21 – You cannot drink the cup of Yahweh and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of Yahweh’s table and of the table of demons.

    We cannot mix the profane with the holy, and we cannot mix lies with truth, and we cannot mix the table of Yahweh with the table of demons. We must choose one, or the other

  28. He did not ask us to celebrate or commemorate or do in rememberance…….He did not tell us not to…just pointing that out…..as for what the non believers do..that is not what christians do….same with easter…….

  29. Yes, I get what you are saying…….I am blessed this year anyway as christmas day is Preperation Day followed by Sabbath…..I don’t have to worry about christmas lol.

  30. I have read a lot of what she had to say about Christmas …. Honestly I don’t know if I have read everything she had to say on the subject. It amazes me though that many are familiar with the RCC’S “influence” on Christianity ….. But not the extent.

  31. Well, they may have changed something to do with christmas..like they did the 4th commandment..but we still celebrate the sabbath…the difference between the 2 is the bible says nothing at all about one..and a lot about the other. we do not have to do things in any way that they have done..we could listen to mrs white and take her counsel……

  32. Well I don’t see true believers doing that……and that is what she said..there is so much assuming of believers in some of the comments here…..those who do like the heathens would not be true christians or counted in the remnant now would they..I have been trying to talk about TRUE christians….the ones who actually keep Gods commandments and dietary laws…etc. Not one of us does anything 100 per cent perfect..and we should all be mindful of assuming and pointing fingers lest some be pointed back.

  33. Our Savior didn’t like the traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees because they transgressed Yahweh’s clear commandments. How is Christmas in line with what Jesus says?

  34. Matthew 15:7 – “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
    8 `These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with [their] lips, But their heart is far from Me.
    9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

  35. We have to truly submit to obey and transform to do ALL things in Christ …. I’m not attempting to pass judgment on anyone. I cannot see through using my Bible how Jesus has anything to do with Christmas.

  36. How is it not Cindy..if we are talking about how true christians celebrate? You keep putting commandments in there as a weapon..but it was NOT talking about christmas..or easter..or anything else other than commandments….commandments of men no less..and christmas is not a commandment..of God……

  37. Troy we can do that every day..and we should……no different than working in a job not run by believers..and doing things perhaps should not be done by the believer….how can the believer ignore any of it? What does He do?

  38. Anyways…these holidays are not encouraged by my church…they are acknowledged…as it is hard to ignore them…..and hard to get away from them as a family get together…when not all family are believers…………..and those participating strive to do things to honour Jesus..things He approves of….things people don’t get to do unless it is a holiday and they have time off work etc.

  39. So was God pleased when Aaron decided to dedicate a “feast” to God, fearing the loss of Moses, with their best man-made intentions? It’s just another way of Cain. Golden calf anyone?
    Exodus 32:5-6 (KJV)

    5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord.

    6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

  40. The Apostle Paul says: “God forbid that I should glory in anything except in the cross [not the manger] of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). We find no salvation in the birth of the Lord Jesus by itself, for salvation was only made possible through His death (i.e., His shed blood) and resurrection. Our focus should be on the cross and our ascended Saviour, not in a cradle

  41. Glory to the manger? So saying the story of His birth etc is giving glory to the manger? If there was no birth there would be no salvation…..He had to come to die….and I have bever heard anyone do anything except say he was born and what his bed was..nothing more..then the focus was on Him and who he was etc etc etc….

  42. Troy and what was that all about? Moses would not come down so that is what they did..they could not wait….it’s ok….people are still free to believe the way they want..there is no golden calf in christmas and the true believers make it about Jesus…the bible does not discuss christmas…and most things said are about the heathen practices…not one has mentioned that what true christians do is wrong….just about what others do…but hey, maybe you do other feasts…that were done away with….one acknowledges cousins day…that is what she taught me from her fb page..i never knew that day existed. I learned nothing about Jesus from her site…no truths….and Troy the weird thing is that you have confused me…you said this……….”We have to truly submit to obey and transform to do ALL things in Christ ..” and yet don’t all TRUE christians strive to do that EVERY day??? You guys are not focussing on anyone other than people calling themselves christians but emulating the heathen in many respects….you are making no distinction between anyone…..perhaps I have learned a few things after all…..

  43. Guess we will just have to agree to disagree about Christmas. I use to belong to a church that was so heavy into Christmas. Because there is no Biblical warrant, precedent, nor precept for remembrance of the day of Christ’s birth as a day of special religious celebration I will not go down that path. I am a true christians.

  44. I simply want to encourage all who strive to follow Christ to simply examine the historical facts in conjunction with thorough and prayerful Bible study to properly understand how Christmas/Easter got it’s start. Come out of her my people (Rev.18:4) ….. I think it’s going to be quite difficult for those who “Christianize” known Babylonian, among many others, ways and customs to extract themselves from. Well-meaning is not always well doing …. Just my humble opinion in attempting to share and not judge anyone. 🙂 As I’m sure you know Alli …. this is quite a divisive topic in the SDA Church today.

  45. I am not aware of that being a devisive topic at all Troy….it may be where you are..but not where I am…I have not heard it mentioned as we all know that its something we do not do like the world….but we are not in everyones homes so we don’t know what people do there. But, it is not sda or any other particular church that will save anyone…and we will all be coming out of even our homes sooner or later…I doubt anyone will be going to a church….

  46. Jdg 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. View more

    Jdg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. View more

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