Is it a coincidence many Christian holidays and celebrations occur on the
very dates that pre Christian religions celebrated theirs? Is there a
connection between some Pagan and Christian traditions that have now
been adopted as purely Christian in origin? Most certainly, although some
would not care to admit it.

Second-century missionaries spreading amongst the Teutonic tribes
north of Rome observed many Pagan rituals and ceremonies. Rome,
not wishing to interfere too much with the local traditions, instructed
its missionaries to quietly, (and often ingeniously), attempt to transform
these 'Heathen' practices into ceremonies harmonizing with the
Christian doctrine. There was a logical reason for this. Converts publicly celebrating a Christian ceremony when no one else in their clan was
celebrating anything somewhat stuck out. This made the converts easy
targets for persecution. If, on the other hand, a Christian rite occurred
on the same day as a long-observed local one, and if the two modes of
worship were not blatantly different, then the converts may live to make
other converts.

The old rituals and ceremonies have become so entrenched and
bowdlerized by various Christian factions that their original form are,
to the most part lost. Very little was written down in these times except
by Christian missionaries, making the reconstruction of what was actually
practiced impossible. What does survive has mostly come down to us
through Celtic stories and legends that will have, inevitably, changed
through time. It would seem though, that the image of the blood thirst
Pagan savage, practicing human sacrifice was an invention of the Romans.
They were, after all at war with the Celts, the Celts often attacked Rome
which would hardly give them a good press. The Romans seemed to be good
at propaganda, they were none too polite about the early Christians either.
Is it likely that such a violent race of Pagans people as would accept
Christian missionaries into their fold, allow them to make converts without
turningany of them martyrs?