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Sealed with a (X)

People often use the symbol "X" to represent a kiss at the end of a love note or card but don't understand how this letter came to be associated with the meaning of a kiss. It is believed the custom dates back to when the majority of the public was illiterate. The X or a "cross" was used as one would use their signature today, to mark a person's word to abide by a contract or agreement from a Christian perspective. The X was often then kissed as a further symbol of honesty. Eventually, the X itself came to represent a kiss and no longer just a signature. Why the letter "O" came to represent a hug is not as widely understood. Some say that it is because an O is a shape of hugging arms. Others say it is what Jewish immigrants would use as their own signature, similar to the X, so they were not mistaken for Christians.