Where do the X's you put at the bottom of a letter or greeting card originate?

Question

I heard it originates when people would put a large cross after a letter and then kiss it to show loyalty to the King or love to the person it is being sent to...

What's the story behind it?

Answer 1

There are several explanations. Here's one:

Hugs and Kisses is a term for a sequence of the letters X and O, e.g. XOXO, typically used to express affection or good friendship at the end of a written letter or email.

It is debatable which letter represents which act. The most common interpretation assumes that X represents the four lips of a kiss and O the four arms of a hug. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary states that X is "used to represent a kiss, esp. in the subscription to a letter." [1]. A less common interpretation assumes X as the crossed arms of a hug and O as the puckered lips of a kiss. Additionally, there is a more simple interpretation, based on the pronunciation of the letters X (sounds like 'kiss') and O (sounds like 'hold', as in 'I hold you').

Some celebrities sign an autograph and add "xoxo" to their signature in order to express love to a fan.

The use of XOXO goes back to the use of an X or cross, which was considered as good as a sworn oath in times before most people could write and therefore used the X in the same way a signature is used today — a mark of one's word. An X at the end of a letter or document was often kissed as a seal of honesty, in much the same way one would kiss a Bible or kiss the fingers after making the sign of the Christian cross. Thus the X came to represent a kiss in modern times.[citation needed]

The "X" was also the ancient Paleo Hebrew letter Tav, and was a symbol of the Seal of Hashem (God) and it represented truth, completeness, and perfection.

The origins of the O as a hug are not generally known, although it is speculated that it may represent the arms wrapped around someone being hugged.

Answer 2

Could be that when people were unable to read or write that an X was used to sign their name. Perhaps the X remained even after people were able to sign their own names.

Answer 3

I used to use that when I wanted to shorten my writing, Merry Christmas. I didn't think much about it.
Now I'm beginning to think it was a subtle way to take the name of Christ out of Christmas, shortening to Merry Xmas. I wouldn't be surprised at all with all the issues we are having in our schools today.

Answer 4

Like many other customs, it may have roots in several things, but I've always heard them as representing kisses and the o's as hugs.