xxooxx = kisses and hugs

Where does the tradition of putting Xs and Os at the bottom of a letter come from?

The first mention in literature of XXX for kisses at the bottom of a letter was in 1901, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The X itself is very old.

At that moment, not many people could read or write. The "X" at the bottom of a document took the place of a signature. The cross referred to a crucifix (cross) and the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Xristos They used to kiss the "X" as a crucifix was kissed to emphasize the importance of the mark. It was this practice that lead to the "X" representing a kiss.

There isn't much known about the beginnings of the "O". It is a North American custom. If you look at a letter, the “O” is representing the arms of two people hugging each other from a bird's eye view.

Or it could have been developed from the game of tic tac toe, where one player uses the "X" and another the "O", leading people to think that the "O" was the hug, as the "X" is the kiss…….

xxooxx,

http://www.hugkiss.com/