What most Christians don’t realize is that the term Xmas isn’t modern, nor is it an attempt to “take Christ out of Christmas.” The Greek word for Christ is Χριστός. X in ancient Greek culture often stood for Christ since it was the first letter in the Greek word for Christ. It’s not offensive, it’s simply short hand. In fact, many ancient Christians were simply called Xians. The term Xmas has been around almost as long as the actual holiday.

As for the Happy Holidays gripe, most Christians also don’t realize that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah.

“Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.” (John 10:22, 23 NIV)

The Feast of Dedication is Hanukkah, an important event in Jewish history. It’s not meant to nor should it compete with Christmas.

As for Kwanzaa, Jesus didn’t celebrate it but I’m not sure why Christians are freaking out about it. It’s meant to celebrate the African-American culture and promote unity. African-Americans come from a unique culture that they want to, and should, preserve.

In my opinion, saying “Happy Holidays” is not downplaying Christmas nor downplaying Christianity. It’s simply a whole lot easier to say “Happy Holidays” than it is to say “Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa.”