W

Whheerree ddiidd tthhee w woorrlldd ggeett CChhrriissttmmaass?? ...... ffrroom

m tthhee B Biibbllee,, oorr
ppaaggaanniissmm?? H Heerree aarree tthhee aassttoonniisshhiinngg ffaaccttss w
whhiicchh m maayy sshhoocckk yyoouu!!
TTeesstt yyoouurrsseellff.. H
Hoow wm muucchh ddoo yyoouu kknnoow w ooff tthhee oorriiggiinn ooff tthhee
C
Chhrriissttmmaass ttrreeee ---- ooff ""SSaannttaa C Cllaauuss"" ---- ooff tthhee m miissttlleettooee ---- ooff tthhee
hhoollllyy w
wrreeaatthh ----ooff tthhee ccuussttoomm ooff eexxcchhaannggiinngg ggiiffttss??
small toys and sacks or little boxes of candy and nuts.

W HEN I was a very little boy, I was taught to

hang up my stockings on Christmas eve. When I
And beside the mantle, from which my stockings hung,
a Christmas tree had suddenly appeared, decorated
with shiny tinsel. And on it hung presents. Other
presents for us children were piled on the floor
underneath. I was told Santa Claus had come down the
awakened the next morning, they were filled with chimney during the night and left all these things.
1
But did I question what my parents had told me? Of published by that church. Under the heading
course not. I accepted it -- took it all for granted. Didn't "Christmas," you will find:
you?
"Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the
Stop and think a moment! Very few have ever reflected Church ... the first evidence of the feast is from Egypt."
on why they believe what they do -- why they follow "Pagan customs centering around the January calends
the customs they do, or from where those customs gravitated to Christmas."
came. We were born into a world filled with customs.
We grew up accepting them without question. And in the same encyclopedia, under the heading
"Natal Day," we find that the early Catholic father,
Why? Sheep instinct? Well, not exactly. Origen, acknowledged this truth: "... In the Scriptures,
no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great
But by nature we do tend to follow the crowd, whether banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners [like Pharaoh
right or wrong. Sheep follow others to the slaughter. and Herod] who make great rejoicings over the day in
Humans ought to check up where they are going. which they were born into this world" (emphasis ours).

How -- when did Christmas originate? Encyclopedia Britannica, 1946 edition, has this:
"Christmas (i.e., the Mass of Christ) .... Christmas was
Does Christmas really celebrate the birthday of Christ? not among the earliest festivals of the church ...."It was
Was Jesus born on December 25th? not instituted by Christ or the apostles, or by Bible
authority. It was picked up afterward from paganism.
Did the original apostles, who knew Jesus personally The Encyclopedia Americana, 1944 edition, says:
and were taught by Him, celebrate His birthday on "Christmas .... It was, according to many authorities,
December 25th? Did they celebrate it at all? not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian
church, as the Christian usage in general was to
If Christmas is the chief of the Christian holidays, why celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than
do so many non-Christians observe it? Do you know? their birth ...." (The "Communion," which is instituted
by New Testament Bible authority, is a memorial of
Why do people exchange presents with family the death of Christ.) "... A feast was established in
members, friends, relatives, at Christmas time? Was it memory of this event [Christ's birth] in the fourth
because the wise men presented gifts to the Christ- century. In the fifth century the Western Church
child? The answer may surprise you. ordered it to be celebrated forever on the day of the old
Roman feast of the birth of Sol, as no certain
Most people have "supposed" a lot of things about knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed."
Christmas that are not true. But let's quit "supposing"
and get the facts! Now notice! These recognized historical authorities
show Christmas was not observed by Christians for the
first two or three hundred years -- a period longer than
What Encyclopedias Say the entire history of the United States as a nation! It got
into the Western, or Roman, Church, by the fourth
The word "Christmas" means "Mass of Christ," or, as it century A.D. It was not until the fifth century that the
came to be shortened, "Christ-Mass." It came to non- Roman Church ordered it to be celebrated as an official
Christians and Protestants from the Roman Catholic Christian festival!
Church. And where did they get it? NOT from the New
Testament -- NOT from the Bible -- NOT from the
original apostles who were personally instructed by Jesus Not Born December 25th
Christ --but it gravitated in the fourth century into the
Roman Church from paganism. Jesus was not even born in the winter season! When
the Christ-child was born "there were in the same
Since the celebration of Christmas has come to the country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch
world from the Roman Catholic Church, and has no over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). This never could
authority but that of the Roman Catholic Church, let us have occurred in Judaea in the month of December.
examine the Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911 edition,
2
The shepherds always brought their flocks from the Knowledge explains it clearly, in its article on
mountainsides and fields and corralled them not later "Christmas": "How much the date of the festival
than October 15, to protect them from the cold, rainy depended upon the pagan Brumalia (Dec. 25)
season that followed that date. Notice that the Bible following the Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24), and celebrating
itself proves, in Song of Solomon 2:11 and Ezra 10:9, the shortest day of the year and the 'new sun' ... cannot
13, that winter was a rainy season not permitting be accurately determined. The pagan Saturnalia and
shepherds to abide in open fields at night. Brumalia were too deeply entrenched in popular
custom to be set aside by Christian influence .... The
"It was an ancient custom among Jews of those days to pagan festival with its riot and merrymaking was so
send out their sheep to the fields and deserts about the popular that Christians were glad of an excuse to
Passover (early spring), and bring them home at continue its celebration with little change in spirit and
commencement of the first rain," says the Adam in manner. Christian preachers of the West and the
Clarke Commentary (Vol. 5, page 370, New York ed.) Near East protested against the unseemly frivolity with
which Christ's birthday was celebrated, while
Continuing, this authority states: "During the time they Christians of Mesopotamia accused their Western
were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. brethren of idolatry and sun worship for adopting as
As ... the first rain began early in the month of Christian this pagan festival."
Marchesvan, which answers to part of our October and
November [begins sometime in October], we find that Remember, the Roman world had been pagan. Prior to
the sheep were kept out in the open country during the the fourth century, Christians were few in number,
whole summer. And, as these shepherds had not yet though increasing, and were persecuted by the
brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument government and by pagans. But, with the advent of
that October had not yet commenced, and that, Constantine as emperor, who made his profession of
consequently, our Lord was not born on the 25th of Christianity in the fourth century, placing Christianity
December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor on an equal footing with paganism, people of the
could He have been born later than September, as the Roman world began to accept this now-popular
flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very Christianity by the hundreds of thousands.
ground, the nativity in December should be given up.
The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a But remember, these people had grown up in pagan
chronological fact ... See the quotations from the customs, chief of which was this idolatrous festival of
Talmudists in Lightfoot." December 25th. It was a festival of merrymaking, with
its special spirit. They enjoyed it! They didn't want to
Any encyclopedia, or any other authority, will tell you give it up! Now this same article in the New Schaff-
that Christ was not born on December 25. The Catholic Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge explains
Encyclopedia frankly states this fact. how the recognition by Constantine of Sunday, which
had been the day of pagan sun worship, and how the
The exact date of Jesus' birth is entirely unknown, as influence of the pagan Manichaeism, which identified
all authorities acknowledge -- though if I had space in the SON of God with the physical SUN, gave these
this booklet I could show you scriptures which at least pagans of the fourth century, now turning over
strongly indicate it was in the early fall -- probably wholesale to "Christianity," their excuse for calling
September approximately six months after Passover. their pagan-festival date of December 25th (birthday of
the SUN-god), the birthday of the SON of God.
If God had wished us to observe and celebrate Christ's
birthday, He would not have so completely hidden the And that is how "Christmas" became fastened on our
exact date. Western world! We may call it by another name, but
it's the same old pagan sun-worshipping festival still!
How This Pagan Custom Got into the Church The only change is in what we call it! You can call a
rabbit a "lion," but it's still a rabbit, just the same.
Then how did this pagan custom creep into the
Western Christian world? Again from the Encyclopaedia Britannica: "Certain
Latins, as early as 354, may have transferred the
The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious birthday from January 6th to December 25, which was
then a Mithraic feast ... or birthday of the unconquered
3
SUN ... The Syrians and Armenians, who clung to became chief objects of worship. This worship of
January 6th, accused the Romans of sun worship and "Mother and Child" spread over the world. The names
idolatry, contending ... that the feast of December 25th, varied in different countries and languages. In Egypt it
had been invented by disciples of Cerinthus ...." was Isis and Osiris. In Asia, Cybele and Deoius. In
pagan Rome, Fortuna and Jupiterpuer. Even in Greece,
China, Japan, Tibet is to be found the counterpart of
The Real Origin of Christmas the Madonna, long before the birth of Christ!

But if we got Christmas from the Roman Catholics, Thus, during the fourth and fifth centuries, when the
and they got it from paganism, where did the pagans pagans of the Roman world were "accepting" the new
get it? Where, when, and what was its real origin? popular "Christianity" by the hundreds of thousands,
carrying their old pagan customs and beliefs along with
It is a chief custom of the corrupt system denounced all them, merely cloaking them with Christian-sounding
through Bible prophecies and teachings under the name names, the Madonna and "Mother and Child" idea also
of Babylon. And it started and originated in the became popularized, especially at Christmas time.
original Babylon of ancient Nimrod! Yes, it stems from Every Christmas season you'll hear sung and chanted
roots whose beginning was shortly this side of the dozens of times the hymn "Silent Night, Holy Night,"
Flood! with its familiar "Mother and Child" theme. We, who
have been born in such a babylonish world, reared and
Nimrod, grandson of Ham, son of Noah, was the real steeped in these things all our lives, have been taught
founder of the Babylonish system that has gripped the to revere these things as holy and sacred. We never
world ever since --the system of organized competition questioned to see where they came from -- whether
-- of man -- ruled governments and empires, based they came from the Bible, or from pagan idolatry!
upon the competitive and profit-making economic
system. Nimrod built the tower of Babel, the original We are shocked to learn the truth -- some,
Babylon, ancient Nineveh, and many other cities. He unfortunately, take offense at the plain truth! But God
organized this world's first kingdom. The name commands His faithful ministers, "Cry aloud, spare
Nimrod, in Hebrew, is derived from "Marad," meaning not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my
"he rebelled." people their transgression!" Shocking as these facts
are, they are the plain facts of history and the Bible!
From many ancient writings, considerable is learned of
this man, who started the great organized worldly The real origin of Christmas goes back to ancient
apostasy from God that has dominated this world until Babylon. It is bound up in the organized apostasy
now. Nimrod was so evil, it is said he married his own which has gripped a deceived world these many
mother, whose name was Semiramis. After Nimrod's centuries! In Egypt, it was always believed that the son
untimely death, his so-called mother-wife, Semiramis, of Isis (Egyptian name for "Queen of Heaven") was
propagated the evil doctrine of the survival of Nimrod born December 25th. Paganism celebrated this famous
as a spirit being. She claimed a full-grown evergreen birthday over most of the known world for centuries
tree sprang overnight from a dead tree stump, which before the birth of Christ.
symbolized the springing forth unto new life of the
dead Nimrod. On each anniversary of his birth, she December 25th is not the birthday of Jesus the true
claimed, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and Christ! The apostles and early true Church never
leave gifts upon it. December 25th was the birthday of celebrated Christ's birthday at any time. There is no
Nimrod. This is the real origin of the Christmas tree. command or instruction to celebrate it in the Bible --
rather, the celebrating of birthdays is a pagan, not a
Through her scheming and designing, Semiramis Christian custom, believe it or not!
became the Babylonian "Queen of Heaven," and
Nimrod, under various names, became the "divine son Thus the ancient idolatrous "Chaldean Mysteries,"
of heaven." Through the generations, in this idolatrous founded by this wife of Nimrod, have been handed
worship, Nimrod also became the false Messiah, son of down through the pagan religions under new Christian-
Baal the Sun-god. In this false Babylonish system, the sounding names.
"Mother and Child" (Semiramis and Nimrod reborn)

4
 Origin of Holly Wreath, Mistletoe, Yule Log subsequently transferred to Christmas day. Hence the
association of Christmas with Santa Claus ...."
Now where did we get this mistletoe custom? Among
the ancient pagans the mistletoe was used at this Through the year, parents punish their children for
festival of the winter solstice because it was considered telling falsehoods. Then, at Christmas time, they
sacred to the sun, because of its supposed miraculous themselves tell their little children this "Santa Claus"
healing power. The pagan custom of kissing under the lie! Is it any wonder many of them, when they grow up
mistletoe was an early step in the night of revelry and and learn the truth, begin to believe God is a myth,
drunken debauchery -- celebrating the death of the "old too?
sun" and the birth of the new at the winter solstice.
Mistletoe, sacred in pagan festivals, is a parasite! One little fellow, sadly disillusioned about "Santa
Claus," said to a playmate, "Yes, and I'm going to look
Holly berries were also considered sacred to the sun- into this 'Jesus Christ' business, too!" Is it Christian to
god. The yule log is in reality the "sun log." "Yule" teach children myths and falsehoods? God says, "Thou
means "wheel," a pagan symbol of the sun. Yet today shalt not bear false witness!" It may seem right, and be
professing Christians speak of the "sacred yule-tide justified by human reason, but God says, "There is a
season"! way that seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof
are the ways of death!" "Old Nick" also is a term for
Even the lighting of fires and candles as a Christian the devil! Is there a connection? Satan appears as an
ceremony is merely a continuation of the pagan "angel of light," to deceive! (II Cor. 11:14; Rev. 12:9.)
custom, encouraging the waning sun-god as he reached
the lowest place in the southern skies! And so when we examine the facts, we are astonished
to learn that the practice of observing Christmas is not,
The Encyclopedia Americana says: "The holly, the after all, a true Christian practice, but a pagan custom -
mistletoe, the Yule log ... are relics of pre-Christian - one of the ways of Babylon our people have fallen
times." Of paganism! into!

The book "Answers to Questions", compiled by

Frederick J. Haskins, found in public libraries, says: What the Bible Says About the Christmas Tree
"The use of Christmas wreaths is believed by
authorities to be traceable to the pagan customs of But if the Bible is silent about telling us to observe
decorating buildings and places of worship at the feast Christmas, or recording any such observance by the
which took place at the same time as Christmas. The apostles or early true Church, it does have something
Christmas tree is from Egypt, and its origin dates from to say about the Christmas tree!
a period long anterior to the Christian Era."
This will come as a real surprise to many. But here it
Yes, and Even Santa Claus! is:

But surely dear old Santa Claus is not a creature of Jeremiah 10:2-6: "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the
pagan birth? But he is, and his real character is not so way of the heathen .... For the customs of the people
benevolent and holy as many suppose! are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the
work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They
The name "Santa Claus" is a corruption of the name deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with
"St. Nicholas," a Roman Catholic bishop who lived in nails and with hammers, that it move not."
the 5th century. Look in the Encyclopaedia Britannica,
volume 19, pages 648-649, 11th edition, where you'll There is a perfect description of the Christmas tree,
read: "St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra, a saint honored by termed by the Eternal as "the way of the heathen -- the
the Greeks and Latins on the 6th of December .... A customs of the people." We are commanded not to
legend of his surreptitious bestowal of dowries on the learn that way or follow it! It is also viewed in this
three daughters of an impoverished citizen ... is said to passage as idolatry. The fifth verse shows that these
have originated the old custom of giving presents in trees cannot speak -- cannot walk -- must be carried.
secret on the Eve of St. Nicholas [Dec. 6], "Be not afraid of them; for they [the trees] cannot do

5
evil, neither also is it in them to do good." They are not Then, in January and even into February it seems they
gods to be feared. Some people misread this to make it have to catch up from what they spent for Christmas,
say there is no harm in having a Christmas tree, but so they seldom get back to normal in supporting Christ
that is not what it says. and His Work before March!

Now consider what the Bible says about the wise men
Isn't Exchanging Gifts Scriptural? giving gifts when Christ was born. It is in Matthew
2:1-11. "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
But when it comes to the most important part of all in Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there
this Christmas observance -- the Christmas shopping came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying,
season -- the buying and exchanging of gifts -- many Where is he that is born King of the Jews? ... And
will exclaim triumphantly, "Well, at least the Bible when they were come into the house, they saw the
tells us to do that! Didn't the wise men give gifts when young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and
Christ was born?" worshipped him: and when they had opened their
treasures, they presented unto HIM gifts; gold, and
Again, we are due for some surprises, when we learn frankincense, and myrrh."
the plain truth. First, let's look at the historic origin of
trading gifts back and forth, then see exactly what the
Bible does say about it. Why Gifts Presented to Christ

From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153- Notice, they inquired for the child Jesus, who was born
155, we quote: "The interchange of presents between KING of the Jews! Now why did they present gifts to
friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Him? Because it was His birthday? Not at all, because
Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians they came several days or weeks after the date of His
from the Pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian birth! Was it to set an example for us, today, to trade
plainly shows." gifts back and forth among ourselves? No, notice
carefully! They did not exchange gifts among
The fact is, this custom fastened upon people of themselves, but "they presented unto HIM gifts." They
exchanging gifts with friends and relatives at the gave their gifts to Christ, not to their friends, relatives,
Christmas season has not a single trace of Christianity or one another!
about it, strange though that may seem! This does not
celebrate Christ's birthday nor honor it or Him! Why? Let me quote from the Adam Clarke
Suppose someone you love has a birthday. You want to Commentary, volume 5, page 46: "Verse 11. (They
honor that person on his or her birthday. Would you presented unto him gifts.) The people of the east never
lavishly buy gifts for everyone else, trading gifts back approach the presence of kings and great personages,
and forth with all your other friends and loved ones, without a present in their hands. The custom is often
but ignore completely any gift for the one whose noticed in the Old Testament, and still prevails in the
birthday you are honoring? Rather absurd, when east, and in some of the newly discovered South Sea
viewed in that light, isn't it? Islands."

Yet this is exactly what people the world over are There it is! They were not instituting a new Christian
doing! They honor a day that is not Christ's birthday by custom of exchanging gifts with friends to honor
spending every dime they can scrape together in Christ's birthday. They were following an old and
buying presents to trade back and forth among friends ancient eastern custom of presenting gifts to a king
and relatives. But I can say by years of experience, as I when they came into his presence. They were
believe most pastors and ministers can say, that when approaching Him, born KING of the Jews, in person.
the month of December rolls around, nearly all Therefore custom required they present gifts even as
professing Christians forget to give gifts to Christ and the Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon -- even
His cause almost altogether! December often is the as many people today take a gift along when they visit
most difficult month to keep Christ's work from dying! the White House for an appointment with the
People are too busy trading gifts back and forth among President.
themselves to think of Him and His Work, it seems.

6
No, the custom of trading gifts back and forth does not with it.
stem from this scriptural incident at all, but rather, as
quoted from history above, it is the continuance of an Again, Jesus said: "In vain they do worship me,
ancient pagan custom. Instead of honoring Christ, it
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men"
invariably retards His Work, often sets it back, at the
Christmas season every year. (Matt. 15:9). Christmas observance is a tradition of
men, and the commandments of God, as quoted, forbid
it. Jesus said, further, "full well ye reject the
Does It Really Honor Christ? commandment of God, that ye may keep your own
tradition."
Now come two arguments often used to justify
Christmas observance. That is precisely what the millions are doing today.
They ignore the commandment of God. He commands,
1) Many will reason this way: "But, even though the
regarding taking the customs of the pagans and using
exact date of Jesus' birth is unknown, should we not
select some date to celebrate as His birthday?" The them to honor or worship God: "Thou shalt not do so
answer is positively no! Did you not notice the unto the Lord thy God." Still, most people today take
statement quoted from the Catholic Encyclopedia: that command of God lightly, or as having no validity
"Sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthdays." whatsoever, and follow the tradition of men in
The celebration of birthdays is not a Christian, but a observing Christmas.
pagan custom, observed by sinners!

2) But, many still reason, "Even so -- even though Make no mistake! God will allow you to defy and
Christmas was a pagan custom, honoring the false sun- disobey Him. He will allow you to follow the crowd
god, we don't observe it to honor the false god, we and the traditions of men. He will allow you to sin. But
observe it to honor Christ." He also says there is a day of reckoning coming. As
you sow, so shall you reap! Jesus was the living Word
But how does GOD answer in His Word? "Take heed of God in Person, and the Bible is the written Word of
to thyself that thou be not snared by following them God. And we shall be judged, for eternity, by these
[the pagans in their customs] ... that thou enquire not words! They should not be taken lightly or ignored.
after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve
their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not We're in Babylon, and Haven't Known It Christmas has
do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to become a commercial season. It's sponsored, kept
the Eternal, which he hateth, have they done unto their alive, by the heaviest retail advertising campaigns of
gods" (Deut. 12:30-31). the year. You see a masqueraded "Santa Claus" in
many stores. Ads keep us deluded and deceived about
God says plainly in His Instruction Book to us, that He the "beautiful Christmas spirit." The newspapers, who
will not accept that kind of worship, even though sell the ads, print flowery editorials exalting and
intended in His honor. To Him, He says, it is offering eulogizing the pagan season, and its "spirit." A gullible
what is abominable to Him, and therefore it honors, not people has become so inoculated, many take offense
Him, but false pagan gods. GOD says we must not when told the truth. But the "Christmas spirit" is
worship Him according to the "dictates of our own created each year, not to honor Christ, but to sell
conscience" -- a term we often hear. But Jesus said merchandise! Like all Satan's delusions, it appears as
plainly, "God is a spirit: and they that worship him an "angel of light," is made to appear good. Billions of
must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). dollars are spent in this merchandising spree every
And what is truth? God's Word -- the Holy Bible -- year, while the cause of Christ must suffer! It's part of
said Jesus, is truth (John 17:17); and the Bible says the economic system of Babylon!
God will not accept worship when people take a pagan
custom or manner of worship and try to honor Christ We have professed to be Christian nations, but we're in
7
Babylon, as Bible prophecy foretold, and we don't plagues" -- now soon to fall -- is the warning of
know it! "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not Revelation 18:4.
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her

MR HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG

1952, 1972, Ed.

This booklet is not to be sold. It is a free educational service in the public interest,
published by the Ambassador College Department of Theology.

DISTRIBUTED BY: