Since the ending ‘mas’ actually refers to the mass ie the death of the Nazarene why would anyone celebrate a mass as a birth day??? Moreover since the Nazarene wasn’t born in December but rather September what bdifference does any of it make?? I enjoy the lights and songs and goto the church of my youth because I still like hearing Christmas carols sung by a full choir with organ accompaniment. I have no illusions about the day...it is a pagan celebration and always has been. This day my faith does not make....
If Navidad celebrations bespeak “pagan” to you, then by all means pass them up. Otherwise don’t complain.
Most modern Christians aren’t even aware of pagan connotations that many elements of the modern celebration once commonly had. It can be debated whether this is a bad or good thing, but it reflects a common practical manner of the church in transforming the meanings of things in the creation that had been taken by paganism to be pagan symbols but which are not good or bad of themselves.
Also, of course the -mass reflects Orthodox/Roman-Catholic practice. The communion service was traditionally integrated with whatever Christian calendar topic was timely, so you got this-mas(s) and that-mas etc. It so happened that the common belief that the Nativity happened on or about December 25 gave rise to Christ-mas(s).
Now that evangelical and Protestant churches don’t have “masses” for communion, and may not even celebrate communion every week, Christ-mas(s) is the only survivor. “Nativity” would be a better name, but hardly anyone uses it in English. Hispanics with their Navidad have it easier with this theological detail.
Christmas is NOT a pagan holiday. December 25 was indeed used by pagans, but Christians use it for their own Christian purposes. Today is Saturday, a day named after the pagan god Saturn. I seriously doubt you refuse to acknowledge that it is Saturday. You just don’t celebrate Saturn’s Day. There’s a huge difference between those two ideas.