I sometimes wonder why you never see “Happy Xgiving” in November. The words “Thanks” and “Christ” have the same number of letters, so it probably doesn’t have anything to do with saving space or just being lazy. It is quite possible that the “Xgiving” advocates saw how much trouble “Xmas” caused, and decided to opt out.

The earliest recorded substitution of “X” for “Christ” is subject to some interpretation, but could be traced to as early as 1100. Through the years, the shortened version has been used by such notables as George Woodward, Lord Byron, Samuel Coleridge, Lewis Carroll and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Most folks see the Xmas vs. Christmas thing as a spiritual battleground, with Xmas viewed as overtly commercial or even blasphemous by those for whom this is a religious holiday.

Some modern style guides have elected to take the high road and suggest “Christmas” for reasons of literary propriety and correctness. Others defend the “X” as another way of writing the Greek letter Chi, part of the Chi-Rho symbol that was used as far back as 1021 to depict Jesus Christ.

In the end, it all comes down to a matter of personal choice. While I completely respect people’s right to celebrate “X”, I plan on continuing to enjoy this season of “Thanks” and “Christ.”