Why would anyone say or write "Merry X-mas"?

Abbreviations like this are very common in ancient languages (Latin). It was very common for monks who were copying manuscripts to abbreviate all kinds of things... largely because they generally already know what it said (just was we all know "xmas" means "Christmas"). We abbreviate all kinds of things these days, it's just the evolution of the language. No disrespect is meant when someone says xmas instead of Christmas.

Yes, sadly, I do have a degree in Latin and I did study paleography (ancient manuscripts).

I'm atheist (wanna fight about it....jk) and use x-mas or christmas interchangeably ....I celebrate it for familial reasons and getting gifts, and that it's an all-around fun holiday, basically for everything but religious reasons.

The "X" comes from the Greek letter Chi,which is the first letter of the Greek word Xpiotoc,, translated as ""Christ"
The usage of the X used in this manner can be dated back as far as 1485 Originally Posted by VictoriaLyn

Yup

All these Bill O'Reilly types thinking Xmas is part of the "war on Christmas." X has been used as a symbol for Christ in English as far back as 1485:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas

It has nothing to do with trying to remove religion from the holiday. Originally Posted by unagi

YUP!

in my opinion Xmas has been so Commercialized the past 30 years it sucks!!... all you hear about is fuking retailers bottom line!

Valentines Day
Mothers Day
Xmas

have all gone to SHIT, why the fuk do I need to buy a diamond to say I love you to my wife, SO, GF etc???( if I had one)

isn't an I LOVE YOU good enough? Originally Posted by RALPHEY BOY

THANK YOU!

Well, a Christian Christmas wouldn't be "merry," anyways. You'd go to church and pray. Maybe sit quietly at home and be grateful for Jesus.

Christ wasn't born in December according to the scripture, anyway.

"Merry" Christmas is simply the Catholic church making a bogus Christian link to pagan Winter Solstice/New Year celebrations and making them a phony Christian holiday.

Presents, trees, feasting, Santa, eggnog, etc. are all non-Christian ideas.

Don't get bent out of shape about it.

If you're a devout Christian, go to church, pray, be thankful for Jesus, etc.

Whether you're a Christian or not, put up a tree, take the day off, exchange gifts, feast, spend time with your family, drink eggnog, share the love, help the poor, etc.

Originally Posted by GneissGuy

Agreed.

Also for reference, the picture you posted of Bin Laden is probably pretty close to what Jesus looked like.

Agreed.

Also for reference, the picture you posted of Bin Laden is probably pretty close to what Jesus looked like. Originally Posted by rekcaSxT

I didn't post a picture of Bin Laden. Some slimebag decided to get cute on the website I picked the picture from and changed the picture.

Haha! Oops!