Created: prior to 2018
What's the X in XMas anyway?
Years ago, Christians were disappointed that people had lost sight of "Christ" in Christmas. Indeed, it wasn't even pronounced "Christ-mas" (hard I in Christ) it was pronounced "Crist- mas" (soft i in Cris) like we do today. Some of them decided that, since the Greek word for Christ is Xristos (using Roman letters to spell it) and since the first letter of Xristos is "Chi" which looks like our X, they would spell Christmas "XMas" to emphasize that it is Xristos', that is, Christ's birth.
Now, I will admit, that most people who use XMas today do it to Remove (to X out) Christ or they use XMas to avoid offending people who don't want Christ in Christmas, or because they are trying to offend Christians or simply because XMas fits better in their advertising material (It is shorter.)
But, though they didn't mean it, now that you know the truth, every time you see XMas. remember that the X is there to emphasize the fact that it is Xristos' birthday we are celebrating. Use XMas as your personal reminder that this isn't just a quaint holiday. It is celebration of Jesus Christ's who came to earth to die and give us the ability to be saved from our sins.
Oh, and one more thought... I'll bet you can tell why I usually spell the holiday "CHRISTmas"
The Candy Cane
A candy maker in the States (Indiana I believe the most reliable sources say) wanted to make a candy that would remind people at Christmas time of Jesus. Like those Christians who put the X in XMas to emphasis Christ, this candy maker wanted to do something to put Christ back in Christmas. He thought:
The promises of God are firm.
Jesus died for us.
Jesus suffered for us.
When you accept Jesus' salvation, you are made white as snow, just as he is pure white.
With these thought he created the Candy Cane:
A firm, primarily white candy with one large red stripe and 3 thin red strips, done in the shape of a J.
If you have other "facts" you think I should be including, please let me know, and, if possible, provide me with a verifiable source that I can check out to verify they are facts and not just a myth or cute idea. Of course, I could include cute ideas here as well, I just want to make sure I differentiate between fact and unknown provenance and fiction.