Do you prefer 'Merry Christmas' or 'happy Xmas'? A controversial question - it is likely to divide many. For some, Christmas is the only correct name for the holiday, but others will happily use Christmas and Xmas interchangeably.
However, not everyone is familiar with the etymology behind the words - and some make their pick not knowing the difference between them. If you fall into this latter category, you aren't the only one.
Lots of people are only just learning about the different origins behind the two terms. At the same time, others are just realising that both hold religious meaning, contrary to the popular belief Xmas is a secular version of its longer counterpart.
If this sounds confusing, fear not, as the experts at Dictionary.com are on hand to help.
A post on the website explains that '-mas' comes from the old English word for mass. So far, so good - most people will have noticed the reference to the church service.
Equally, the origins of 'Christ' in Christmas are simple to understand. But what about the X that replaces 'Christ' in Christmas?
Well, Xmas was used as an abbreviation as early as the mid-1500s, according to Dictionary.com. The experts explain: "X represents the Greek letter chi the initial letter in the word Χριστός (Chrīstos). And what does Χριστός mean? '(Jesus) Christ.'"
Dictionary.com adds that X has been widely accepted as a representation of the word Christ for hundreds of years, with its common usage explaining why the word sometimes appears in the abbreviated form.
Regardless, for some Christians, it is important to use the word that centres 'Christ'. But others are happy to use the X form, with its religious connotations.
How people choose to use the two words is, of course, down to them. Learning the origins of the words is a good first step, however. For lots of people, the reason Christmas is sometimes called Xmas is new knowledge. You only have to browse Twitter to find a range of tweets from social media users keen to understand the difference.
Elsewhere on TikTok, viewers have previously been left stunned by videos dedicated to the topic.
In a post about 'Xmas' and why it is often seen as secular word for Christmas - one that reflects the holiday's more commercialised aspects - @thepiosilva said: "The real origin of the X comes from the Greek name for Christ himself, if you were referring to Christ as Christos or Chi (X) in Greek."
In response, one viewer said: "Thank you, my whole life has been a lie."
While a second replied: "Mind-blowing."
And someone else said: "I didn't know the Xmas."
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