The six Herdman children - Imogene, Ralph, Claude, Leroy, Ollie, and Gladys - are notorious for their rowdy misfit behavior, including cigar smoking, cussing, drinking jug wine, and shoplifting. They have never been disciplined because their father hopped a train and never came back when Gladys was just a baby and their mother is always working multiple shifts to make ends meet. Despite their poor performance, the Herdmans steadily pass through elementary school (since holding any one of them back would mean having two or more of them in the same grade).

They go to Sunday school for the first time after being told that the church offers snacks. Everyone is flabbergasted when they all volunteer for the lead roles in the Christmas pageant: Mary (Imogene), Joseph (Ralph), the Three Wise Men (Claude, Ollie, and Leroy), and the Angel of the Lord (Gladys), the last of whom likens her role to a character from Amazing Comics. Since they have bullied all the usual cast members into remaining silent during the call for volunteers, the director has no choice but to cast them.  

What will happen to the usually calm annual Christmas Pageant? Will the town survive?