The three kings and the star that guided them to Bethlehem are crucial components of The Greatest Story Ever Told.
They've been enshrined in the Nativity story since it was first depicted in churches and schools.
According to Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, however, there is no evidence in the Bible to suggest they were a part of the birth of Christ and he dismissed their presence as "legend".
Dr Williams was supported yesterday by a Birmingham cleric who dubbed the Archbishop a "wise man" in his own right.
The Rev Jemima Prasadam, the priest-in-charge of St Paul and St Silas Church in Lozells, Birmingham, who on Sunday will be installed as the church's vicar, said she supported his views as many characters were redefined for the sake of helping children have a better understanding of the Christmas story.
According to the Archbishop, all the evidence for the Nativity existed in Matthew's Gospel. But, he said, the gospel did not actually describe the wise men as kings, nor did it say where they came from.
"It says they are astrologers, wise men, priests from somewhere outside the Roman Empire, that's all we're really told," he said.
As for the star rising above the stable and standing still, the Archbishop pointed out stars do not "behave" like that. He said Christmas cards showing the Virgin Mary cradling the baby Jesus with the shepherds on one side and the three wise men on the other were guilty of "conflation" and he added Jesus was probably not born in December at all.
The Christmas date became established because it fitted well with the winter festival, he added.
In spite of his views, the Archbishop stressed that believing in God was not equivalent to believing in Santa Claus or the tooth fairy.
In addition, he suggested new Christians need not fear they had to leap over the "hurdle" of belief in the Virgin Birth before they could be "signed up".
One thing he did agree with was that Jesus's mother's name was Mary and in all four gospels his father was called Joseph.
Mirroring the Archbishop's thoughts, Rev Prasadam said: "The Bible doesn't say three kings, but because of the three gifts they brought, it is often thought there were three.
"The Bible actually says 'magi' which literally means mathematicians, but now we call them scientists or astrologists.
"The Archbishop is a scholar and a very holy man in the good sense of the word and he brings that to a lot of people and I consider that he is a wise man in that sense.
"For children and the vocabulary they are used to, it is easier to say kings and queens."
Referring to the Archbishop's view that Christ was not born in December, she added: "Nobody knows when it was. But because of the description that it was cold and they were really wet in the freezing weather and it was winter, our winter is in December. It is not the exact date.
"All the different religious festivals like Christmas, Hanukkah and Diwali are in winter, with darkness and light as the themes."
