Herbert W. Armstrong contends that the celebration of Christmas did not remotely come from the pages of the Bible, but instead from pagan gentile customs and traditions. The tradition of exchanging gifts on December 25 did not have its origin in the example of the wise men (who were actually following a middle eastern custom of presenting gifts to a king or nobleman- not exchanging them among themselves), but instead from extra-biblical pagan origins. From the description of the setting, it is obvious that this event took place many days-perhaps months after the birth of Christ. Jesus Christ was not born anywhere close to December 25; this ancient custom derives from a popular widely- observed pagan festival celebrated centuries before the birth of Christ. The booklet The Plain Truth About Christmas was offered on this program.

Exchanging gifts Observing Christmas Pagan origins Presents Prosperity Shopping spree Wise men