Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Hugs and kisses" in English language version.
The custom goes back to the early Christian era, when a cross mark or 'X' was the same as a sworn oath. The cross referred to the cross of Calvary and the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Xristos.
In The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten, it is noted that illiterate immigrants (or those who did not know Roman-English letters) would generally sign entry forms with an 'X' but Jews preferred an 'O' to avoid making something that looked like a cross. Also, shopkeepers and salesmen would similarly sign receipts with a circle. Could this be the origin of the 'O'?
The custom goes back to the early Christian era, when a cross mark or 'X' was the same as a sworn oath. The cross referred to the cross of Calvary and the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Xristos.
In The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten, it is noted that illiterate immigrants (or those who did not know Roman-English letters) would generally sign entry forms with an 'X' but Jews preferred an 'O' to avoid making something that looked like a cross. Also, shopkeepers and salesmen would similarly sign receipts with a circle. Could this be the origin of the 'O'?
