Feast of the Holy Innocents

Definition and Meaning

The Feast of the Holy Innocents commemorates the young boys who were killed in and around Bethlehem by order of King Herod shortly after the birth of Jesus. The Western church observes the day on December 28, while the Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates it on December 29.

Biblical and Historical Background

According to Matthew 2, when the Magi did not return to Herod, he ordered the killing of all boys two years old and under throughout the region of Bethlehem, according to the time he had learned from the wise men (Matthew 2:16). The infant Jesus had already escaped harm through the flight into Egypt. Matthew records the event as the fulfillment of the words of Jeremiah 31:15, "Rachel weeping for her children" (Matthew 2:17-18).

The event does not appear in any contemporary records outside the Bible, and for this reason some scholars question its historicity. Others hold that, because Bethlehem was a small village at the time, the number of infants killed would not have been large, and that under Herod's reign, marked by repeated acts of cruelty, the event may not have been considered significant enough to be recorded.

The commemoration is known to have been observed since the time of the early church. In the Western liturgical calendar, the days following Christmas proceed in order: Stephen on December 26, the apostle John on December 27, and the Holy Innocents on December 28. Traditionally, these infants have been regarded as the first martyrs, having died in place of Jesus.

Practice in Korean Churches

• The Catholic Church in Korea observes December 28 as a feast, called there the "Feast of the Sinless Infant Martyrs," and celebrates Mass.
• The liturgical calendars of the Anglican and Lutheran churches also include the December 28 commemoration. How widely the day is observed in individual congregations of the Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea may vary from church to church.
• Most Korean Protestant denominations (Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, Full Gospel, and others) do not observe the day specifically. The Christmas season in Korean Protestantism centers mainly on Christmas and the New Year's Eve watch night service.
• In churches that follow the church calendar and use a lectionary (a table of Scripture readings arranged according to the church calendar), Matthew 2:13-23 is read on the first Sunday after Christmas in some years, and the event may be addressed in preaching at that time.