Keep the P in xmas

HUH?!?
One of my personal pet peeves over the years has been the ever-increasing use of "Xmas" instead of "Christmas" during this time of year. I know you might think that some people overreact about using "xmas", arguing that it's simply shortening a word we ALL know is too long for most signage. But with every passing season, I see it used more and more when there seems to be PLENTY of room to spell 'antidisestablishmentarianism!"
I remember when I was in Hong Kong for Christmas in 1995. For one, the city reminded me of New York City times 3. Secondly, I was struck by how secular the entire city's celebration of the holiday was. In a way, it made sense. That culture is by and large Buddhist or Confuscian-- NOT Judeo-Christian like the underpinnings of our American culture. In that vast city which was decorated in full bloom with lights on skyscrapers and the whole works, I did not ONCE see "Christmas" spelled out-- much less one single nativity scene. Huge buildings literally said "Merry Xmas!"
Talk about 'lost in translation'!!
What I began to realize was that in that culture, they literally WERE keeping the Christ out of "Christmas." The whole city's celebration was about partying and giving presents and not one shred of remembering the real meaning of Christmas. A first-hand experience like that really sensitized me to seeing the slow-but-sure process of secularization of the holiday back in my own country. Now, 14 years later, I see a little less and less emphasis of the birth of Christ, the nativity, etc every year. It's as plain as a skyscraper to me.
So, ONE way I have decided to make a personal statement to directly combat this creeping process is to change how I write "Christmas" when I too wish to save time or space. Instead of "xmas" (which appears to me to be a BLATANT attempt to "X" Christ out), I write "Pxmas"! (See symbol above for when handwriting)
Have you ever seen that symbol before? If you are or grew up Catholic, you would probably recognize it. I just learned that it's called the CHi-RHO cross although I've used the symbol itself for years.
The letters P and X are often used as another symbol for "Christ". Evidently, the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek are X and P. In the Greek alphabet X equals CH and P equals R.
So if one were to write a CHi-RHO cross together with "mas" after it (or type "Pxmas"), one would LITERALLY be keeping CHRist in CHRISTmas! And that is what I do and have done for over 14 years now.
For those of you tired of seeing the true meaning of the holiday eroding, won't you please join my one-man movement to literally KEEP Christ in Christmas by covering the "x" with a "P" and writing the CHi-RHO whenever you can? It's a little statement, but it says a LOT.
MERRY PxMAS!