For those of you who are familiar with the character, Mrs. Malaprop in Sheridan’s play, “The Rivals,” written in 1775, gave birth to the noun, malapropism- the unintentional misuse of word, usually with comic effects; through the confusion with another word that sounds similar, but has different meaning, Chambers 21st Century dictionary, explained. Don’t be seen or likened to Mrs. Malaprop, Sheridan’s comic character in the classics, who misuses words in this way. According to the dictionary, her name refers to the term malapropos; to speak or say something out of place, unsuitable, inapt.
We are in the season again, when banters, greetings and exchange of gifts takes the centre stage. No one dares to be left out; even the poor and have-nots are looking forward to share in the Christmas fall out whether in cash or kind. In the spirit of Advent we all are expected to stretch out our hands to neighbours, and our masters in church, the streets, apologies to Society of Saint Vincent D’ Paul, already calling for donations in cash and kind to feed the hungry. May we answer to the clarion call in tune with the church’s belief in works of mercy; to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless.
However, the issue of interest here, is the repeated misuse, or inappropriate branding of the established and universal Christmas – the annual Christian festival held or celebrated on 25 December, which commemorates the birth of Christ. The atmosphere is filled with the usual rush to catch the fun, days away with traffic build up and last minute push to shop for the family, and of course, friends and visitors who may come calling. In the midst of the madness to beat deadline, which to my understanding, is unnecessary, as we still have plenty of Christmas ahead of us to mark, with God on our side. If you cannot travel home this year, for instance, you can still travel in the coming year.
Did I hear somebody speak or write “Merry Xmass?” That is the taboo I intend to address one more time. I repeat, it’s aberration to reduce Christmas to Xmass in a bid to shorten the statement, or play smart; unknowingly or unintentionally, one is making the mistake of equating Christmas to pagan worship, if what the inventors of the vocabulary say is anything to go by. Aside from what history and fathers of the faith talk about the word, “Christmas,” the dictionary, I mean the standard English dictionary couldn’t accommodate or accept the malapropism, “Xmass.” Well, to buttress my argument, let’s consider this statement of old, perhaps from the masters, or Church historians, “Christmas is the combination of two words, Christ and Mass.”
The date used to be set aside as pagan’s sacrifice to gods before Christ was born. According to tradition, later in year 533 A.D during the reign of Constantine, who also doubled as the head of the then Roman Church, changed the day from pagan’s day of sacrifices to Jesus Christ’s birth commemoration. The Church fathers called the day the Mass of Christ. Christ, as we are told in Hebrew, means “the anointed one” or the “chosen one.” Mass in Greek, means, gathering of people of Christ. The atheists and antichrists decided to change it by removing the name, Christ for X to mean that there is no Christ; giving the impression there is no gathering of Christ followers.
Taking it from that angle, couple with the fact that, the coinage “Xmass” cannot be traced in the dictionary, further explained the inherent error or misuse of the word people often recycle at the turn of the season, to send messages to and felicitates with families, friends and acquaintances. Now that you know, discard the malapropism, “Xmass” in favour of the popular Christmas salutation whenever you come across those you randomly meet in the Church this season of celebration to mark the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year to our readers and advertisers.
