N.B.: What follows below is a post from the archives, edited slightly and updated:

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An ancient Christian sarcophagus with the Chi-Rho, the monogram for Christ. |
The early Church historian Eusebius describes the monogram as “the symbol of the Savior's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by X in its center” (Life of Constantine 1.31). The early Christians, then, abbreviated the name of Christ by placing what looks to us as a “P” intersecting an “X” (vellum wasn't cheap and it was cost effective to save space; carving wasn't a simple affair either).
Sometime afterwards it became customary to abbreviate the name of Christ in this way not only in artwork but also in writing (as one who does so on the black, green or white board, too, it is easier, and more fun). This abbreviated monogram worked well enough until the advent of the printing press and, more recently, of the common keyboard found on typewriters and computers. Have you ever found a keyboard that can type a P directly over an X in such a way as to intersect it? Neither have I.
Consequently, it became customary to abbreviate the name of Christ simply with the first letter of his name, the Greek letter chi: X. Hence, X-mas is the abbreviation of Christmas, which itself is an abbreviation of sorts for “the Mass of Christ,” much like “Candlemas” is the abbreviation of “The Mass of Candles” and “Michaelmas” is the abbreviation of the “Mass of St. Michael.”
So, the next time somebody tells you that “X-mas” is one of many attacks on Christmas you might fill them in on the truth of the story. Then you might tell them that very name of this most treasured of days comes from the Catholic Church and invite them to join you for the true “Christmas:” Mass in honor of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
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The monogram on the altar of St. Anthony of Padua church, Effingham, Illinois |
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