From the Encyclopedia

"A winter festival was traditionally the most popular festival of the year in many cultures. Reasons included less agricultural work needing to be done during the winter, as well as people expecting longer days and shorter nights after the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. In part, the Christmas celebration was created by the early Church in order to entice pagan Romans to convert to Christianity without losing their own winter celebrations. Most of the most important gods in the religions of Ishtar and Mithra had their birthdays on December 25. Various Christmas traditions are considered to have been syncretised from winter festivals including the following:
Saturnalia
In Roman times, the best-known winter festival was Saturnalia, which was popular throughout Italy. Saturnalia was a time of general relaxation, feasting, merry-making, and a cessation of formal rules. It included the making and giving of small presents (Saturnalia et Sigillaricia), including small dolls for children and candles for adults. During Saturnalia, business was postponed and even slaves feasted. There was drinking, gambling, and singing, and even public nudity. It was the "best of days," according to the poet Catullus. Saturnalia honored the god Saturn and began on December 17. The festival gradually lengthened until the late Republican period, when it was seven days (December 17-24). In imperial times, Saturnalia was shortened to five days.
Natalis Solis Invicti

The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the birthday of the unconquered sun." The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian (AD 270-274); and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin. Emperor Elagabalus (218-222) introduced the festival, and it reached the height of its popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an empire-wide holiday.

December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma. It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, December 25 was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21 or 22.) The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus. "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born," Cyprian wrote.
Yule

Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in the late December to early January period. Yule logs were lit to honor Thor, the god of thunder, with the belief that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. Feasting would continue until the log burned out, which could take as many as twelve days. In pagan Germania (not to be confused with Germany), the equivalent holiday was the mid-winter night which was followed by 12 "wild nights", filled with eating, drinking and partying. As Northern Europe was the last part to Christianize, its pagan celebrations had a major influence on Christmas. Scandinavians still call Christmas Jul. In English, the Germanic word Yule is synonymous with Christmas, a usage first recorded in 900"

Hey Grain-iac

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” -Matthew 12

 I've heard this passage quoted to me as a proof text that Jesus broke the sabbath dozens of times. I've had pastors of churches sit across the table from me over coffee and proclaim that Jesus broke the sabbath completely missing the gravity of  their absurd profession. Does it baffle anyone how many modern pastors are saying the same thing that those accusing the Savior were saying? How can Christ even be the sinless offering to redeem all of mankind if He HAD in fact, violated the Sabbath and was teaching others to do the same thing? It's the 4th commandment in the Big 10 rock legends.
Pastors are in churches every weekend, just like the Pharisees were. They were teaching from the word of God, just as these Pharisees were. Somehow these Pharisees missed this verse here:

When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor’s standing grain.- Deut 23:25

According to this verse,  the Savior and His Disciples ARE allowed to do what they were doing.

In the Pharisees were the ones teaching people what the scriptures say then and getting it wrong, could pastors today be teaching things and getting them wrong?
How would you know? You have the scriptures at your finger tips, literally clicks away. Do you know the truth if a man twists it, wittingly or unwittingly?

What else do we have contrasting the Pharisees interpretations of the scriptures and the Savior rebuking them for it?

The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”- Mark 7

What response does he give them?

And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
7 ‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’
8 Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.- Mark 7

Now if these Pharisees, who were charged with teaching the commands of God could be rebuked by the Son of God for NOT following the Commands of God/ God's Law...

... Can the same be said about many pastors? Well:

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths-  2 Tim 4

What if your Pastor says that Christ did away with the Law and the Prophets?
“Do NOT think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did NOT come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called LEAST in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.- Matthew 5, emphasis mine.


Well, does fulfill mean render as to not be observed once we are saved, or does your pastor interpret fulfill as to mean to not be followed?

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ -Matthew 7

Don't be a Grain-iac. Don't believe what someone tells you about certain non-biblical December celebrations that have their roots in pagan practices that the Word says not to learn, but a pastor says is ok. Don't forsake the commands of God/ God's Law, for your own traditions. Don't beat up people that tell you the truth about the word of God because it conflicts with the things you enjoy.