HOLY INNOCENTS DAY

Holy Innocents Day is observed annually on December 28th.

Holy Innocents Day (also referred to as Childermas) commemorates the massacre
of male children at Bethlehem by King Herod’s order (Matthew 2:16). Also known
as the Feast of the Holy Innocents, this day is observed in the Western churches
on December 28 and Eastern churches on December 29. These children are
considered martyrs, Saints of God, by the Church.

HOW TO OBSERVE
On this day it is custom to give the youngest child in the household the power to
rule the day. From what to eat, where to go and what to do, the youngest is in
charge. In Mexico, it is a day for children to play practical jokes and pranks on
their elders.

HISTORY
Upon hearing of the birth of the King of the Jews and the fulfillment of an Old
Testament prophecy, Herod ordered the execution of all the male children in
Bethlehem. While the exact date when this event occurred is uncertain, the feast
has been celebrated since before the end of the fifth century.