Date Debate: Winter Solstice and December 25

One must have their peculiar Holiday traditions. For me, being involved in the stranger side of life and culture, I always take note of a particular happenstance that occurs around this time of year. Every December without fail, you will hear the statement that Christmas is in fact Pagan, and that its symbols and customs have an origin that isn't Christian at all. Grab the Yule log, put up some mistletoe, we're going to go through all that such a statement entails!