I think everybody here has it the other way around.
Here's the situation of the time. The christian faith is expanding, and expanding fast. I mean really fast. And so much that it is very hard to keep track of the ever growing flow of new people coming in the church, all with different backgrounds and pagan belief. It was in order to help in this transitional phase that the church officials decided to ''highjack'' the old pagan beliefs and give them a christian meaning.
So they didn't do this to convert everybody to christianity, but did it because everybody was converting to christianity.
In any case, was it wrong ? Was it right ? Should they have abolished all the pagan traditions, and then start off with completely new ones with the second and third generations ? Should they have kept it the way it was ?
Personnally I don't a schizzles about it all. I mean, modern culture highjacked christmas to make it Santa Clauses party. And most people kept the christian tradition of christmas but gave to it their own, personal meaning, and I'm not condemning anyone for doing so.
Although if you are condemning the church for highjacking previous pagan tradition (I'm not saying you are), but then you yourself highjack the previous christian tradition, I will find it a bit hypocrite.