I used to be offend by the use of "Xmas," because I thought people were trying to take Christ out of Christmas. However, I was enlightened by a priest who told me that the use of the letter X stands for chi, the initial for the Greek word Χριστός, which means Christ. The letter X is also used in the Chi-Rho, which is a Christogram used for centuries by Orthodox Greeks, Roman Catholics, Anglicans and other Christian denominations throughout the world.
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I also heard someone say once that the letter X is a symbol representing the cross that was used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
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In addition, according to Wikipedia, the spelling form of Xmas was used in writings by many historical personalities, such as Lord Byron, Lewis Carroll, and Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior.
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However, because of it's widely commercial use in the last couple of decades, most people prefer the traditional spelling of Christmas. Although I don't find the Xmas spelling offensive any longer, I also prefer the traditional spelling. Therefore, Merry Christmas!
