Holy Innocents Day, also known as the Feast of the Holy Innocents, is commemorated on December 28 every year. On this day, the Catholic Church honors the first martyrs. These were the children of Israel killed by King Herod in his quest to find baby Jesus. This day is also known as Childermas. According to the Bible, Herod was afraid of the prophesied King of Jews and was angry that he hadn’t heard from the Magi who had come to him initially seeking a newborn king. Furious that Jesus had escaped, Herod ordered the killing of all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, hoping to kill Jesus.
History
The story behind Holy Innocents Day is part of the nativity narrative in the Gospel of Mathew in the Bible, which describes Herod’s violence. Furious that the prophesied King of Jews had escaped him, the angry King Herod orders the murder of all boys under the age of two in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, where Jesus is supposed to be. These children are the first Christian martyrs according to the Catholic Church. They have been referred to also as the patron saints for babies.
The Feast of the Holy Innocents or Childermas or Innocents Day was celebrated together with Epiphany. But by the 5th century, this had become a festival by itself. In Ancient Rome, it was a traditional day of fasting and mourning.
Credit: National Today
