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Possible Duplicate:
Why do some words have “X” as a substitute?
I had seen abbreviations like sk8 (meanning skate, using sk and the number pronunciantion eight).
But why Christmas is abbreviated like xmas?
x pronunciation is ex and ex-mas doesn't works.
Maybe is because the x looks like a cross but I don't know.
Someone can explain this?
From Wikipedia:
"Xmas" is a common abbreviation of the word "Christmas". It is sometimes pronounced /ˈɛksməs/, but it, and variants such as "Xtemass", originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation /ˈkrɪsməs/. The "-mas" part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for "Mass", while the "X" comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as "Christ".
There is a common misconception that the word Xmas is a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the "Christ" out of "Christmas".
