The necessity for ritual cleanliness finds a place in every religious tradition. Even today, mosques are built with fountains in their courtyards so that the faithful can wash before prayer. Jewish washing and kosher requirements are well known and Catholics bless themselves with holy water whenever they enter a church.

Within the context of Holy Week, we have a slight twist on the significance of washing. In the story of the Passion read on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the most obvious description of washing of hands is the action of Pilate washing his hands of guilt after handing Jesus over to be crucified. In fact, in the old Tridentine rite, where every action of the priest was described as symbolic of the story of the Passion, the washing of hands was described as symbolic of the washing of Pilate’s hands. Modern church historians and liturgists have disputed this analogy since the priest as ‘alter Christus’ cannot at the same time be ‘alter’ Pilate. Historians will add that the washing of hands came about in the early Church because, at the time of the preparation of the gifts, the priests would bless things, accept gifts (food, livestock, etc.) for the Church, etc. and so needed to wash up afterwards.

The continued practice during the preparation of the gifts, however, is not just a vestige of a practical liturgical action that was done in the early Church. The Church maintains the practice of the washing of hands as a sign of the ritual purity of the priest, and by extension, the priestly people who are celebrating the Eucharist, the sacrifice
of Thanksgiving and can be a reminder of the cleansing of sin at baptism. This meaning of the washing of hands is demonstrated by the words of the priest during the washing, “Lord, wash me of my iniquity, cleanse me of my sins.” It is actually a practice that goes back to the rituals of the Temple of Jerusalem where Jesus would have
witnessed the exposition of the ‘showbread’ every Passover of his life. The washing of the priests’ hands during Mass at the preparation of the gifts is the symbolic washing of everyone's hands, a symbolic washing of the iniquity and sins of all of God’s priestly people. This action is always connected with the preparation of the gifts.

The term "traditional Christmas" can have different meanings, depending on culture and history of any given family. When we think a Christmas celebration, many of us imagine Midnight Mass, Christmas carolers, presents underneath decorated trees, stockings hung on the fireplace, a turkey in the oven. Others think of tamales or plum pudding, posadas and trips to relative‘s houses. We have special songs, special foods and stories; a special language that is unique to Christmas.

It is interesting to note that most of the things that we think of as indispensable Christmas traditions are actually modern additions to the festivity. Up until the early 1800‘s, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in many of our states who believed the traditions to be too pagan or (even worse) too Catholic. Christmas trees immigrated with German settlers in the 19th Century, the Christmas Card originated in London in the same era. Most of our beloved Christmas Carols were written in the last 200 years. Santa Claus, himself, developed from Danish and English Father Christmas, also in the 19th Century.

The history of the celebration of Christmas in the United States is unusual. The earliest Christmas celebrations in the American southern colonies centered around hunts and socials or balls. They were adult affairs and children were not invited. What a far cry from our modern Santa Claus driven Christmas economic machine! 

There is no doubt that traditions change with a change in culture. What we consider a "traditional Christmas" tomorrow might not bear much resemblance to our celebrations today. But what will always be essential to Christmas will remain the same; God‘s generosity to us, his children. In the cold and fearful darkness that we experience around us in the world, God‘s presence breaks through with the message of the angels. "Fear not!" The Light of Jesus Christ is born among us, a light that brings peace, consolation and joy.