How Do You Spell Christmas? (And Why Xmas Is Fine)

Christmas is spelled C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S, with a capital C and just one S at the end. That single S trips up more people than almost any other festive word, so if you have ever paused mid-card to wonder whether it needs two, you are in very good company. Here is the full, friendly guide to spelling Christmas correctly, the misspellings to watch for, and why "Xmas" is perfectly proper too.

How do you spell Christmas?

The correct spelling is Christmas. The word is a squashed-together version of "Christ's Mass", the old church service held to mark the birth of Jesus. That history explains the two things people most often get wrong. The opening letters "Chr" come from Christ, so the C is always a capital and the H sits silently behind it. And because it is the Mass of Christ, there is only one S at the very end, even though "mass" on its own is usually written with a double S.

A nice way to remember it: Christ was a humble man, so he only needs one S on his birthday. Break the word into its two real parts, Christ and mas, and the spelling falls into place every time.

Common misspellings to avoid

Once you know the word is built from "Christ" plus "mas", the usual slip-ups are easy to spot:

• Christmass - the most common error of all, caused by borrowing the double S from "mass". The festive word only keeps one.
• Cristmas - dropping the silent H. The H belongs to Christ and stays put.
• Chirstmas - a simple typo that swaps the I and the R. Easy to do at speed, easy to miss.
• Crismas or Krismas - spelling it the way it sounds. Christmas is pronounced "kriss-muhss", with the T almost silent, which is exactly why the spelling looks nothing like it sounds.

The letters "ch" usually make a soft sound, as in "cheese", but in Christmas they make a hard K sound. That mismatch between sound and spelling is the real reason the word feels harder than it should.

Is "Xmas" correct?

Yes, "Xmas" is a genuine, accepted way to write Christmas, and it is far older than most people think. The X is not a lazy modern shortcut or a way of "crossing out" Christ. It is actually the Greek letter Chi, written X, which is the first letter of "Χριστός" (Christos), the Greek word for Christ. Scribes and scholars were abbreviating Christmas this way in manuscripts as far back as the 11th century, centuries before shop windows and text messages existed.

So "Xmas" is simply "Christ-mass" written with the Greek initial standing in for Christ. Write it with a capital X and no full stop or dash, and say it either as "eks-mas" or just as "Christmas". A small handful of people still prefer the full traditional spelling on cards and feel "Xmas" looks too casual, so it is worth reading the room, but there is nothing incorrect about it.

Capital letters, plurals and the possessive

Christmas is a proper noun, the name of a specific festival, so it always takes a capital C, whether it sits at the start of a sentence or in the middle of one. The same goes for related names like Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Father Christmas.

The plural catches people out too. More than one Christmas is Christmases ("we have spent the last three Christmases abroad"), not "Christmas's" or "Christmasses". When something belongs to the day, the possessive is Christmas's, as in "Christmas's quiet magic". And "Christmassy", the adjective for anything that feels festive, does take a double S in the middle, which is one place the extra S is finally welcome.

Father Christmas or Santa?

While we are sorting out festive spelling, the jolly man in red has two names in Britain and both are correct. Father Christmas is the older, traditionally British figure, a personification of the season's good cheer. Santa Claus, often shortened to Santa, comes from the Dutch "Sinterklaas", itself a form of Saint Nicholas. Today the two have largely merged into one cheerful character, so you can use whichever you grew up with. Both always take capital letters, since they are names.

Spelling Christmas in style

Now that the word is sorted, there is one lovely loophole worth knowing: on a jumper, "Xmas" and "Christmas" are both fair game, and nobody is marking your spelling. If you would like to wear the word with pride, our Christmas jumpers spell out the season in reindeer, gingerbread and bold festive slogans, with matching styles in our women's Christmas jumpers and men's Christmas jumpers ranges.

So there you have it: Christmas, one capital C, one S at the end, and Xmas right beside it with its proud Greek X. Spell it however suits the moment, and have a very merry one.

Sources: Christmas (Wikipedia) and Christmas (Online Etymology Dictionary).