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One little fellow, sadly disillusioned about "Santa Claus," said to a playmate, "Yes, and
I'm going to look into this 'Jesus Christ' business, too!" Is it Christian to teach children myths and
falsehoods? God says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness!" It may seem right, and be justified by
human reason, but God says, "There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof are the
ways of death!" "Old Nick" also is a term for the devil! Is there a connection? Satan appears as an
"angel of light," to deceive! (II Cor. 11:14; Rev. 12:9.)

And so when we examine the facts, we are astonished to learn that the practice of observ-
ing Christmas is not, after all, a true Christian practice, but a pagan custom -- one of the ways of
Babylon our people have fallen into!

What the Bible Says About the Christmas Tree

But if the Bible is silent about telling us to observe Christmas, or recording any such ob-
servance by the apostles or early true Church, it does have something to say about the Christmas
tree!

This will come as a real surprise to many. But here it is:

Jeremiah 10:2-6: "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen .... For the customs
of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the
workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and
with hammers, that it move not."

There is a perfect description of the Christmas tree, termed by the Eternal as "the way of
the heathen -- the customs of the people." We are commanded not to learn that way or follow it! It
is also viewed in this passage as idolatry. The fifth verse shows that these trees cannot speak --
cannot walk -- must be carried. "Be not afraid of them; for they [the trees] cannot do evil, neither
also is it in them to do good." They are not gods to be feared. Some people misread this to make it
say there is no harm in having a Christmas tree, but that is not what it says.

Isn't Exchanging Gifts Scriptural?

But when it comes to the most important part of all in this Christmas observance -- the
Christmas shopping season -- the buying and exchanging of gifts -- many will exclaim triumphantly,
"Well, at least the Bible tells us to do that! Didn't the wise men give gifts when Christ was born?"

Again, we are due for some surprises, when we learn 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.

From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155, we quote: "The interchange of
presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have
been adopted by Christians from the Pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows."

The fact is, this custom fastened upon people of exchanging gifts with friends and relatives
at the Christmas season has not a single trace of Christianity about it, strange though that may seem!

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