It’s just anecdotal, something I came across when reading Borges.

With ale and flesh men made her offringe there,
To goddes olde, now lost in empty aire.”

And al the folk, that herden his sawe,
Nodded and spak of this with reverent awe.

Anon.

In halles wyde, where fyr on heth doth play,
A man gan speken on a winter’s day.
“Lordinges,” quod he, “a tale have I y-heard,
Of learned clerk, full wise in speche and word.

He seith that Yule, now clept Christemasse,
Was pagan feest in tymes that didde passe;

A man did tell me, wi’ solemn air,
He’d heard a scholar, learned and rare,
Proclaim wi’ words both braid and bare,
That Yule’s grand cheer
Is but a pagan revel’s fare,
Frae days o’ yore.

Robert Burns