“Guys. I thought you were all about Jesus. Why are you taking Christ out of Christmas? Don’t you know that the Illuminati just came up with the word ‘Xmas’ so they could push Jesus out of Christmas and not have to say His name?!?!?”
We knew we’d be getting asked this question a lot.
We get it. You’re nervous. Many Christians seem to be caving to the political correctness. Plus, your Grandma slapped you that one time you wrote “Xmas” on a box of Christmas ornaments because your hand was tired because she just made you hand label all 431 of her Precious Moments ornaments before writing, “Grandma Jannie’s Ornate Authentic Middle-Eastern Ethnically-Accurate Nativity Set (Made From A Single Piece Of Bethlehem Olive Wood That Jesus May Have Breathed Near Because Those Trees Are Really That Old)”.
And honestly, we’re not simply trying to be controversial (we’re not all middle children).
So let us state our case: X=Christ.
The New Testament of the Bible was written in what we would now call "Ancient Greek" or, as the ancient Greeks called it, "Greek." Jesus is referred to in Scripture as "The Christ" which means “Anointed One” in Greek and was the literary equivalent of a Hebrew word meaning, “Messiah.” Messiah was the title given to Him as recognition of His fulfillment of all messianic prophecies (the things long foretold that the Messiah would do and would happen to Him) in what we call the Old Testament. The word “Christmas” actually comes from “Christ-Mass,” denoting the church service held to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
(History Side Note: Christ is not His last name, but rather His title. He also doesn’t have a middle name, despite what an angry coworker may yell after stubbing a toe.)
In Greek, the word “Christ” (Christos in Greek) was written: Χριστός. You see the first letter in that word? You see where we’re going with this? You’re so smart. You’re going to do big things.
As the early church began to grow, a simple “X” came to be a preferred shorthand for Christ, also known as a “Christogram,” or a symbol of Christ. In later years, many would also use the first two letters of Χριστός (Greek: Chi and Ro, transcribed as X and P in English) combined to form a symbol: ☧. This symbol seems to come from Emperor Constantine I of Rome in the 4th Century AD, who reportedly had a vision the night before a great battle and had ☧ emblazoned on a war banner. And “Xmas” as a shorthand for “Christmas” was first used by at least the mid-1500’s, if not far sooner.
Especially before Emperor Constantine I was converted to Christianity, Christians lived in a constant fear of persecution, torture, and death for their faith in Christ. The symbol of the X came to be a common way of identifying one another amidst persecution. To an early Christian, an X stood for everything worth standing for.
So, take a breath: we would never want to take Christ out of Christmas! It’s always and only about Jesus for us. We want to honor Him and the Love those early Christians gave their lives for. But we also want to educate people on what Xmas truly means, even if that means a little controversy. A little controversy never hurt the church, so long as the people involved love, forgive, and speak to one another like the church. It’s actually pretty healthy, despite how it feels. Like eating kale.
Now, of course we recognize that some people do use “Xmas” as a means of removing Christ from Christmas. X can be a symbol for Christ and simultaneously a movie can be X-Rated. People have always and will always attempt to use for their own selfish purposes the things God designed and desires for Himself.
But that doesn’t change what’s His.
Also, just so we’re clear, we’re not calling it “Xmas,” we actually call the album “Christmas” even though it’s written “XMAS.” It’s not much, but this album is a small way for us to reclaim a word that the world has tried to steal and distort to mean something that it never meant. We’re just trying to regain some ground.
And, if your conscience doesn’t allow you to write “Xmas,” that’s really okay with us. If you search “WE ARE ONE CHRISTMAS” you’ll still find our album. So, hopefully you’ll give it a listen and didn’t freak out and burn it when you read “Xmas.” Especially since it’s only sold digitally and phones are expensive.
Merry Christmas to you and yours! We appreciate the support your listening brings. God bless!
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Side Note: In Spanish “X Mas” would mean “More X” or “More Christ” so...shoutout to our Latin friends for being even more holy this time of year!
