Conversations with God

Hello God, it’s me, Mara:

You know, Lord, why do we write “Xmas” instead of “Christmas,” the short-hand way? This got us curious; so, we stopped at the library. A book of origins explained some of the things we do at Christmas.

One reference stated: “If you wonder why Christmas is sometimes written “Xmas,” it’s because “X” is the Greek equivalent of “Ch”, used to represent the word “Christ.” A dictionary refers one to XP (the same as CHRISTMAS), as the first two letters (chi and rho) of the Greek work “Khristos,” a symbol or emblem for Christ.

After Constantine was converted to Christianity in...