In university I
took a course on the history of family life through the centuries. What I found interesting was that many of our
most “cherished” North American traditions originated during Queen
Santa Claus as a
jolly old man dressed in red is newer, and the result of marketing more than “tradition.” Whereas St. Nicholas, or versions thereof,
have a rich history that’s been around for centuries.
Not knowing the
story behind traditions can make people disregard them, or else cling too
tightly to them.
“The Greek word for Christ is Christós, and the first letter of Christós is Chi. In Greek, the word for “Christ” is Χριστός. Written in the Greek alphabet, Chi is essentially the same as the English letter Χ, according to YourDictionary.com. X became an abbreviation for Christ, and Christmas became Xmas.” A tradition that has been around for centuries. May you all have a very Merry Xmas Season!
Beth
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