MyDD :: Christmas Under Attack ... By Murdock???

Christmas Under Attack ... By Murdock???

by bringohiohome, Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 09:42:09 AM EST

My wife and I are big Harry Potter fans since we listened to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on audio tape during our 2001 summer vacation.

We, like millions of others, are breathlessly awaiting the release of book six: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I read several blogs dedicated to all things Potter including MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron.

Picture my surpise to be taken to a link in Rupert Murdock's British Sun tabloid to read an article speculating on a Christmas day notification of Book 6's release date. The headline in the article is:

Will it be a Harry Xmas?

and the caption under the picture of the author is:

JK Rowling ... Xmas surprise?

Hmmm ... isn't it Rupert Murdock's organs that are telling us that Christmas is under attack and then they use the term which I personally hate (I am a preacher's kid, after all) in place of Christmas?

Paul
Bring Ohio Home

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XMas (3.00 / 1)

XMas has a fine tradition going back centuries. X is a very acceptable. My Greek is practically non-existant, but I believe X is the both the first letter of the Greek word for Christ (using the Roman alphabet though) and some people also used it as a way of representing the cross. So it is actually a very traditional, very old fashioned way of referring to the mass.

by jd142 on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 10:23:29 AM EST

Re: XMas (none / 0)

I can't speak to this ... it's all Greek to me!

However, I do find the term offensive and I'm a mainstream Democrat, not some right-wing nutcase. And we all must have heard the expression ... "put Christ back into Christmas."

by bringohiohome on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 10:39:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: XMas (none / 0)

I have to say that I've always heard the X was symbolic of Christ as a symbolic representation of the cross. I'm a mainstream Dem and I've never found it offensive. As a writer, I find it lazy and prefer to use the proper full name for the holiday.

by SouthernStar on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 11:05:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Malcolm Christ? ummm... (none / 0)

I don't think everyone agrees that X is an abbreviation for Christ, Christmas, or Christians

Christ-men? ummm...

Was Wolverine Christian? Magneto wasn't...

The Christ-Games? ummm...

So that's how Christ got those big crowds for sermons. He did rad 720s first...

by afs on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 11:42:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

In hoc signo And All That (none / 0)

The Greek initials for the first two letters of Christ's name (Chi-Ro)were adopted by the Emperor Constantine after he dreamed that with that symbol he would conquer. That at least is what Christian tradition says. Constantine's soldiers went into battle with the Chi-Ro painted on their shields. They won, he conquered, and then he legalized Christianity.
So using the Greek letter chi(X) as an abbreviation for Christ is a practice that's 1700 years old.
There will be a quiz, and anyone who flunks will be cast into a sea of fire forever and ever, world without end, Amen.

by LaughingHistorian on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 01:31:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: In hoc signo And All That (none / 0)

"There will be a quiz, and anyone who flunks will be cast into a sea of fire forever and ever, world without end, Amen."

I'd like to thank Professor Monfasani and my His492 History of Byzantium class for saving me from the sea of fire.

I can understand most people not knowing the origins of the X in Xmas but I don't think I have ever heard of anyone being offended by it before...

I wish that the Fox, Murdoch, & Co. would get a clue before pushing that "Christmas is under attact" tripe.

by Aurostion on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 01:49:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

sed (none / 0)

s/attact/attack

by Aurostion on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 01:49:19 PM EST

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