Christmas is sometimes shortened to Xmas, but the medieval origins behind the festive abbreviation may surprise you. Let's take a closer look at the history of the word The truth behind Xmas is very interesting... (Image: Getty Images)

Ever pondered why Christmas gets shortened to Xmas? Against common assumptions, it's not simply down to the cross and Christ sounding alike.

The X was actually once a sacred symbol representing Jesus – stretching back to the medieval period. It comes as money expert Martin Lewis urged people not to splurge on 'unnecessary presents' .

Dictionary.com clarifies: "X represents the Greek letter chi the initial letter in the word Χριστός (Chrīstos). And what does Χριστός mean?'(Jesus) Christ'."

Meanwhile, the word "mas" stems from the ancient Engli

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