Holy Innocents' Day

   HOLY INNOCENTS' DAY, also called FEAST OF HOLY INNOCENTS and CHILDERMAS, is a festival of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Greek Orthodox churches. It is observed on December 28. Holy Innocents' Day is in memory of the sad time when Herod the Great, ruler of Palestine, ordered all the male children under two years old in Bethlehem killed. He did this in order to be sure that the infant Jesus would not live to claim his throne (Matthew 2:16). The children slaughtered in the attempt to kill Jesus are regarded as martyrs. They inspired the Catholic hymn of Prudentius, "Salvete Flores Martyrum."