Today we look at a much scorned and little understood word: Xmas. Usually (but not always) pronounced Christmas, the word Xmas is sometimes viewed as the incarnation of a modern commercialized Christmas spirit. But before you say "bah, humbug" to that four-letter word, consider this: Xmas is neither a linguistic Johnny-come-lately nor is it wholly without religious significance.

We can thank the Greeks for the symbolism that put the X in Xmas. The Greek form of Christ's name is Christ’s, and the initial Greek letter of Christ’s, chi, looks like an X in the Latin alphabet.

The custom of using Xmas to mean Christmas dates back to at least the 16th century. Although Xmas is the most common such abbreviation, both an and Untie (representing Christian and Christianity, respectively) are also well-established.

These days, Xmas usually appears in contexts demanding brevity, such as headlines and advertisements. Although not every usage commentator gives Xmas the nod, modern users of it are in good company. Such well-regarded writers as Lord Byron, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Lewis Carroll, all men who knew their Greek, used Xmas.