Pronunciation Poise: Xmas
It's Xmas time! This much maligned name causes considerable confusion each December, especially with pronunciation. See if you know the most correct way to use "a" or "an" with it.
What's the most correct article to use in the blank in this sentence, "a" or "an": "She gave her __ Xmas gift."
a
an
Both are equally correct
The best answer is the first one, “a Xmas gift,” because the “X” here is simply an ancient initial for “Christ,” and “Xmas” is best pronounced exactly as “Christmas” is. Although often frowned upon as sloppy or profane, “Xmas” has a long and legitimate history, and it has no relation to other commonly used "X's," such as “Generation X,” “X-ray” or “X” as an algebraic value. In fact, it’s an abbreviation dating back to the 16th century. The word is derived from Greek, in which the letter “X” represents the first letter (chi) as an initial for the Greek word for Christ (Χριστος). In the early days of printing when typesetting was tedious and costly, abbreviations were common. For this reason, churches began to use “X” for “Christ,” and from there it moved into general use in commercial printing. Hence, the pronunciation “ex-mus” is a misinterpretation of this abbreviation, and “Xmas” in no way takes “Christ” out of “Christmas.” However, although “Xmas” is frequently used in advertising, it's best not used in formal writing, because many people still mistake it as a secularization of “Christmas.”