No, no, no, no, no! The pagan holiday has nothing to do with Christmas. That's like saying Christmas, Eid ul-Adha and Hanukkah are all the same because they are celebrated at roughly the same time.
Touche... to verify this statement here's another quote...
From
http://de.essortment.com/christmaspagan_rece.htm"No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter. So why do we celebrate Christ’s birthday as Christmas, on December the 25th?
The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.
In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born. "
One can continue to research the origins of our favorite festival, but I dont wish to cause debate... Just to open a few minds, nod a few heads, maybe crack a smile...
Regardless of one's religious beliefs (Mine being Christian..) This is still a time that, almost world wide, one celebrates during the last month of the year with joy and love for others...
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Merry Christmas GW!