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Where does Xmas abbreviation come from?
Isn't ignorance a funny thing?
Paul started christianizing from Antiocheia(today Antakya),the former capital of hellenistic kingdom of Seleucids.In this city,the name "christian" was invented.Then he went to Anatolia,Greece,Rome
The hellenic language was spread by Alexander the Great,gained international status,that's why Paul and first christians spoke greek.
You are of course correct. I guess I was thinking in cultural and language terms, not in current states and countries. My point was to explain why X = Christ and has nothing to do with XXL and whatever else. I suppose we agree on that..?
Μπας και βγάλουμε άκρη...
This is an interesting topic. I must agree with Calliope about X meaning in Xmas. There is something that worries me a little though. I see that Albanians are mentioned here too, like in some other topics where it was totally innappropriate.
I don't know the reasons why Calliope has a thing about us (I'm Albanian), but at the same time, I don't want to fuel any remaining cells of hate that anyone here has about anybody else, be those Albanians, Greeks, Serbians, Turks, Polish, you name it.
All I want to say is: Let's be more open and wise. Paranoia doesn't give a solution to coexistence.
Ah, about Paul speaking greek...many people can argue about that...and with good reasons. One has to go back and read some more on that issue.
Happy Holidays!
@Alban
I understand your concern. I assure you I have nothing against Albanians. I keep saying that I respect them, just like I respect every nation, and I have had Albanian friends in the past.
I suppose you are referring to what I said "if you have a problem Paul didn't start from Albania [...]". No offense was meant. As I am sure you have noticed, some Albanians (or people claiming to be Albanians anyway) have clearly demonstrated a problem with anything Greek on this forum, so my comment was specifically to them. It was not directed at a nation, it was directed at specific individuals.
I don't form my opinion on Albanians based on those specific people - there are extremists in every country, and I don't consider them as speaking on behalf of every Albanian. Again, I apologise if my comment offended you - sadly, those to whom the sarcasm was addressed didn't catch it.
Και φτου κι απ'την αρχή...
@ Calliope
I wouldn't be able to find a better topic to have this conversation.
I read your comments here and in the other topics and I must say that you started OK, being objective and understandable, but then, your postings degraded in a tit-for-tat responses, offending words, judgments, etc, which I think lost the seriousness of your ideas and thoughts. In this case I am absolutely not trying to judge the way you write or your ability to express your information, but I want to point out that it was a mistake that you fell prey of provocations, which distorted the discussions and ideas of everyone afterwards.
Second,
I think that you make another big mistake when you try to categorise people (or posters) into two main categories: those who you can offend because they deserve it, and those who don't deserve to be offended. In this way, you start your actions with a predetermined judgement, which comes only from yourself and no one else, including God himself. After you offend a group of people or a whole nation, you cannot go back and select and separate them like they were cherries, depending on your preferences.
I think we should be wise enough to understand that it is our responsibility not to offend anyone, no matter how irritating or provoking they might be. It is our responsibility not to fall prey of ignorance and go down to that level and make things even worse. It is our responsibity to show others that things can go in a different direction, in a better one. It is our responsibity to show others that nothing good comes from hate. It is our responsibility to show others that Greeks and Albanians have been sharing their history and land for eons.
It is our responsibility to represent our ancient civilizations to the whole World.
Third, I checked other topics and to tell you the truth, I don't think that there were Albanians posting anywhere Greeks or Greece were mentioned. I'm not saying that no one showed up, because I don't have those super- powers, but I doubt it very much. Albanians, even those with strong nationalist drive (very normal thing in the Balkans, in every nation, just yet...) are much "louder" when they want to express something (if you know what I mean). I don't want to point fingers at who posted and why, but there can be a lot of individuals or groups out there who can find a million reasons to put that burden on us, too.
It is the easiest and the laziest thing to blame your close neighbor for the quality of your grass. I can't find other words to make you understand better what I just tried to express, but please, try and put yourself in my position, and see how one feels when you are mentioned as a culprit for things that never even crossed your mind. Even though I have ideas about who might have been, I don't feel the urge to mention them, as it would give them more importance than they deserve.
Once again,
Happy Holidays!
Merry Xmas! :-)
@ Alban
Thanks for your comments. A few points I'd like to address: I can't be sure those were indeed Albanians, which is why I said "or people claiming to be Albanians". Like I keep saying, my personal experience with Albanians has been a good one, and had nothing to do with stuff that were posted by trolls and sock puppets here. Whether they were Albanians or not, it doesn't affect my opinion on your nation, which I respect and about which I am culturally and linguistically intrigued and interested. You seem to think I am blaming *Albanians* - I am not. I am blaming specific people, who might be Albanians or Greeks or Serbians or Turks or Brits or whatever - I don't care about their ethnicity.
My writing style is what it is, and I am fully aware that some people might dislike it - but it's okay, I have no intention of being liked by everyone. I felt highly offended by the trolls' suggestions and comments, and I do fight back. I didn't go down the loop, you are wrong; if I had done so, I would have started commenting on nations and ethnicities, which I never did and never would. I still believe those specific people were uneducated, hatred-driven morons. I suppose if the mods think I am not allowed to say that, but they are allowed to trash an entire nation, they will delete my post, unlike what they did to theirs.
I don't pre-divide anyone into categories; there are however categories: people who show respect for others, deserve respect too, and people who respect no one and nothing, don't deserve it. One has to put himself in one of the categories, I don't do the classification. However, I understand that is my subjective code of conduct, and is probably different than yours. That's how people are. Not sure what you mean I offended people as a whole nation, I never did that. It's quite the other way around.
As for our neighbouring status - I feel we are good neighbours, and I believe neighbours (and nations in general) should aim to peace, not drivel and fights, I agree with you absolutely. I am fully aware of our nations' long roots in history, and our long common history, if you read those threads you must have seen I mentioned it more than once.
In short - I apologise if you felt offended as an Albanian, however I never ever offended *Albanians* or Albania. Maybe I didn't come out clear on that, so I am clarifying it now.
However, how I deal with people on an individual, non-nationalistic way is my own personal business; I understand you are quite a pacifist and I respect your calm disposition, however letting false arguments go unanswered would cause the wrong impressions about what is and is not true about my country and culture, to people who had no idea about it and were genuinely interested in knowing.
Calliope,
It is very sad to see the anger and dispear comming from your words. I don't understand your fighting position. It is just a discussion and not a battle, and even if some said anything wrong, whoever they were, let's not forget that the World didn't end and we are still here and I hope and believe that no one lost any drop of blood writing in this forum.
When I said that it is our responsibility to show others our real civilizations, I really meant it. Lets not forget that Albanians and Greeks are what some other nations call 'martial races' and that is quite understandable when anyone can see that we have been fighting (generally speaking, against or among each others) for the last 2500-3000 years. I personally believe in common science laws; force brings more force, action gives back reaction, fight brings more fight. In order for this cycle of non-sense to end, someone must stand up and say: STOP! Someone must change the way things have gone so far.
Someone must drop the sword and grab the book. This is what I am preaching here and this is what other Europeans did after the WWII (lastly).
And here is where we separate our ways, my friend. I, and many like me, Albanians or Greeks, or whatever, will step aside and wait for the rest of you (you can insert your categories here) smarts or fouls, 'righteus' or 'wrong', swordmen and archers, to fight each other to death or until you can do no more harm, and then take you with us at the same house, to tell you once again that all that wasn't worth it.
Albanians have no time to fight wars for things that can be achieved with peace. Greeks the same. Serbians too. And also Turks or any other nation.
I am writing to you this way, because I believe that you will not take this in an offending way, and I really wanted to see you with a book in hand and not a sharpened sword, no matter how attractive that might look and feel (even to me, too!)
@Alban
Do you, or do you not understand what I said? I have no problem whatsoever with Albanians, or with any other nation or country. There are good people in all countries and nations, and there are bad people in all countries and nations. I have a problem with bad people in all countries and nations, my own included.
Are you trying to patronise me on personal ethics? I sure hope you are not; that would mean you consider yourself the epitome of Truth, and there is no greater arrogance than that. I am sure you did not mean to sound that way.
I agree we have to go our separate ways when it comes to personal relations - you have your ways, I have mine; you can wait for me to accept your ways as The Truth, and I will wait for you to realise that personal ethics are subjective and no one can tell his own are the One way to the Light. The fact that you also wait for me to die in a fight because you think the world would then be a better place doesn't really honour you much, but to each their own, I suppose.
I have no swords, my friend. I am a book person. What I do have though, is a hell of a big shield; people who attack it, fall back with the power of their own attack. That will never change.
Μάλιστα, κυρίες και κύριοι...
@ Calliope
Good luck! You really need it this time!
Ahhh...this is so sad and funny at the same time...
Alban: Let me give you a hug.
Calliope: Don't touch me, I can hug my own self.
@ Alban
Take care yourself and your people and leave the rest behind. Some people just don't get it, so don't waste anymore time with them.
@ Calliope
Calliope! The only enemy you are fighting or ever fought is yourself! You are a typical Greek and I mean no disrespect with that, just take it as plain as I said it: Typical Greek. Your clock has stopped around 10 B.C. or so. All you Greeks are so in love with that era, that have refused since then to accept the fact that times, people, powers, human brain and with that human psychology and mentality too, have changed and progressed. Change your clocks! It's time!
People like are a dying breed in Europe. Everyone is waiting on you to "die", to disappear from the peaceful scene of the peaceful people. All Europeans can't wait to bury you and your ancient weapons under thick, heavy layers of concrete. Yes! A world without you and your kind would be a better one, a much better one, a world without psychotic conflicts. A world where freedom of people needs no violence to be determined. A world where a peaceful hand is not refused, where a hug is given back. A world without you will defenitely be a happier world.
Happy Holidays to Everyone!!
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
I love Bulgaria,Romania,Slovenia and Greece the only countries in Balkans
in European Union :-) :-) :-)
Don't judge from Calliope...
Yes, and looking at the way Greeks in this forum intereact with others I should say that they are the luckiest ones to belong to Europe these days. I hope they change the way they think, because by no surprise, one day they might be voted out :-)
@Louis
give just an offensive quote of Calliope,because I can quote many anonymous attacks
against her,which would easily bring a lawsuit.
Don't wait Terry.He can’t.XXL, Guest 2,Louis have the same phraseology.The two first failed to answer the question of this topic.
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