The Feast of the Holy Innocents honors the children of Bethlehem who were killed by King Herod as he tried to destroy the newborn Jesus. Celebrated on December 28, this Christmas feast holds sorrow and hope together: human cruelty is real, yet Christ has entered the world to overcome sin and death.
Revised October 5, 2026, with expanded Catholic teaching, practical ways to observe the feast, and a new prayer.
What Is the Feast of the Holy Innocents?
The Feast of the Holy Innocents commemorates the children killed after the Magi did not return to tell Herod where Jesus was. Enraged and afraid of losing power, Herod ordered the death of the boys in Bethlehem and its surrounding area who were two years old and under (Matthew 2:16–18).
Matthew sees their suffering in light of the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation” (Matthew 2:18). The Gospel does not soften the grief. It places the anguish of bereaved families within the story of the Savior who came to redeem a wounded world.
When Is the Feast of the Holy Innocents?
Catholics celebrate the Holy Innocents on December 28, during the Christmas Octave. Their feast follows the Nativity of the Lord, the feast of St. Stephen, and the feast of St. John the Apostle.
This place in the calendar teaches something important. Christmas is joyful, but the arrival of Christ also exposes resistance to God’s kingdom. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it (John 1:5).
The Holy Innocents also belong within the larger celebration of Christmastide, when the Church continues to contemplate who the Child of Bethlehem truly is.
What Is Childermas?
Childermas is the old English name for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, from “children’s Mass,” in the same way that Christmas is Christ’s Mass and Candlemas is the Mass of the candles. The name survives in older prayer books and in literature.
In Spain and much of Latin America, December 28, the Día de los Santos Inocentes, is also a day of harmless pranks, something like April Fools’ Day. The custom grew up alongside the feast rather than from it, and it does not change the day’s meaning at Mass. The Holy Innocents are honored as patrons of babies, foundlings, and choirboys.
Why Are the Holy Innocents Called Martyrs?
The Church calls the Holy Innocents martyrs because they died on account of Christ, even though they could not knowingly confess him. Herod sought to kill Jesus, and these children lost their lives in the violence directed against him.
The Church’s liturgical tradition therefore honors them as witnesses to Christ. The Vatican’s Directory on Popular Piety notes that the Church has venerated them as martyrs since ancient times.
How Many Holy Innocents Were Killed?
The Bible does not state how many children were killed, and the Church has not defined an exact number. Estimates sometimes repeated in art or devotional writing should not be treated as historical certainty.
Scripture tells us what we need to know: Herod ordered the killing of boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and nearby, basing the age range on what he had learned from the Magi. The focus of the Gospel is the evil of Herod’s act, the suffering of the families, and God’s protection of Jesus for the saving mission that lay ahead.
What Does the Feast of the Holy Innocents Mean Today?
The feast asks Catholics to recognize the dignity of every child and to bring the suffering of children and families before God. We remember children lost through violence, war, abuse, neglect, displacement, illness, miscarriage, and abortion. We also pray for parents whose grief is difficult to put into words.
That prayer should move us toward concrete love. A parish collection for families in need, support for a pregnancy center, help for foster and adoptive families, or a quiet act of kindness toward grieving parents can honor the Holy Innocents more deeply than words alone.
How Can Catholics Observe the Feast?
- Attend Mass on December 28 if possible.
- Read Matthew 2:13–18 slowly and pray for families who suffer.
- Pray for the protection of children before birth and throughout childhood.
- Offer practical help to a parent, family, or child in need.
- Continue the joy of Christmas with a work of mercy.
Families may also light a candle and name before God the children for whom they wish to pray. If the feast awakens personal grief, speak with a priest or a trusted Catholic counselor rather than carrying that sorrow alone.
A Prayer for the Feast of the Holy Innocents
Lord Jesus Christ,
you came among us as a little child
and shared the vulnerability of every human life.
Receive the Holy Innocents into your peace,
comfort all parents who grieve,
protect children from violence and neglect,
and make us courageous in defending their dignity.
May the light of your Nativity shine in every darkness.
Amen.
To continue praying through the season, use our collection of Catholic Christmas prayers.