>Fred,
>
>>"Merry xmas" - Merry (or Happy) Christmas. Either one is pretty acceptable. AFAIK, the "x" in xmas is a symbolic of the cross that Christ was crucified on. I don't know that for sure, but that is how it was explained to me once.
>
>The X corresponds to the Greek letter Chi which was (and I don't know if this was absolutely correct) an abbreviation of the word "Christ". X does have some symbolism within the Christian world, however. If you ever seen some one wearing t a lapel pin with just an X, they're probably a member of the Brotherhood of Saint Andrew. In that case, the X does symbolize the cross that he (St. Andrew) was crucified on.

Thanks, George. It's always good to have some kind of confirmation of things of heard from more than one source. I've always wondered if this is where the term "cris-cross" comes from?