The great Catholic thinkers have decided that the pagan practices can some how be cleaned up and made Christian despite Paul’s words to the Corinthians.
Aaron tried that with the idol golden calf. No matter how it was excused it was pagan and condemned by Jehovah (or Yahweh).
I came across this great explanation that might help you realize the mistake you’re making about what you’re calling pagan holidays..
“Christ can purify and reclaim anything with its roots in human culture, just as He purifies and reclaims everything with its roots in our human nature. He’s the incarnate Savior. He has assumed (taken up and transformed) our human nature. It’s what He does.”
This should make perfect sense to you two because God made the days(pagans don’t own days) and nature and all these things are under His power to transform.
Don’t expect me to get in a long dragged out debate on this since this perfectly explains the subject.