Billy Graham has urged Christians to distinguish Christmas from other "secular" holidays.
The famous evangelist posted a regular question-and-answer session by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. In the column Graham was asked:
"I am a newcomer to your country, and I am still trying to understand your holidays. Which one is more important, Thanksgiving or Christmas?"
Graham wrote back that most Americans would prioritise Christmas as "it occupies more of their time and attention".
He added: "But in reality both should be of great importance, because both should remind us of God's goodness to us— first by providing for our daily needs, and then by sending His Son into the world for our salvation."
Graham said Thanksgiving had its roots "in some of the first European settlers in America, who in spite of great hardship paused to thank God for His goodness to them at the end of the Fall harvest.
But he went on to bemoan the US' focus on the non-religous aspects of both festivals.
"Unfortunately, for many people both Thanksgiving and Christmas are merely secular holidays. But take time today to thank God for His goodness to you, and to commit your life anew to Him," said Graham.
"And as Christmas approaches, take time also to remember God's greatest gift to us — the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Make Him the center of your life — not just today, but every day."
