<TITLE>02. Par -</TITLE>L-2-6 Now, I do not believe... Let me make this clear. I do not believe that Jesus would care what day you worshipped His birthday on (if it's the 25th, 26th, or whether it's April, May, June, July, or whenever it might be), just so you worship--you worship Him on any day.
But here's what it is. They have taken the sacredness from Christmas to make it not a Christmas, but--a worship day, but a celebration. See? We do not... You hear people say, "We're going to celebrate Christmas." That's wrong. We should never celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a day of worship, not a celebration.

L-2-8 We celebrate Lincoln's birthday; we celebrate Washington's birthday. And if you was down in the deep south, we would celebrate Lee's birthday, or--or Jackson. Their birthday is a celebration. But the birthday of Christ, I believe, should be a day of consecration, worship. Instead of tonight, of people at church on their knees, praying, thanking God for the real Christmas Gift... High heeled shoes, and painted faces, and frock-tailed coats, and goblets of whiskey will be tipped one to another; and tens of thousands times thousands of dollars worth of whiskey, and cigars, and cigarettes will be distributed tonight, when thousands of poor, little, hungry children lay without a bite to eat or a place to lay their head.

L-3-1 Worship--what we need, celebration's what we've got. Well, that's all right. That--they--it isn't all right, but we can't stop it; it's here to stay. We--we're going to have Christmas right on just the same.
And the word "Christmas," Christmas come from the word of "mass for Christ, Christ's mass--C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s (See?), Christ's mass." It's a Catholic tradition.

L-3-3 And my little... One of my daughters (I can't call her little no more.), Becky, was--had to write a story the other day on mythology, on mystic. And I said, "Just write about Santa Claus." That's--that's it. Santa Claus has took the place of Christ. And Santa Claus, there never was such a person. See? It's absolutely a Catholic tradition, not anything to do with Protestants or anything about it (See?), or Christmas, or the birth of Christ: not at all. But Santa's here to stay. But someday Jesus will come to stay; that's the One we're looking for.

L-3-4 Now, I sure would prefer Brother Neville taking this pulpit tonight, because it's... I told the people that I would stay away today; and if I did come down and say anything, I'd make a tape. And I hope that they... Have you got a tape recorder going? Have you? Make a tape, whether... If the Holy Spirit during the time of the meeting spoke anything, it might be that they would--they could hear it. See?
I've got some Scriptures and so forth wrote out here, a little text. And I don't know, I trust that the Lord will bless it. But the thing of it is, usually on these Sunday nights, the folks are out of here by around 9:00 or ten minutes after, and you'll be good to get out 'fore 1:00, so... But I suppose there is a watch... [Brother Branham has a conversation with Brother Neville--Ed.] Huh? A watch? Something... midnight service or... I mean... No, not tonight, no, that... He thought--he thought maybe I had it mixed up--this is New Year's night. Well, I--we're expecting a great time New Year's night. That's the time where we--every--all the brethren come in, and we have great fellowship one with another on New Year's night.
Now... But I was just teasing you about that. And I hope that didn't get on the tape.


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