Massacre of the Innocents

Holy Innocents
Holy Innocents
	The Virgin and Child Surrounded by the Holy Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens
First Martyrs
Born	Various, presumably close to the birth of Jesus; Bethlehem, Judea
Died	c. 7–2 BC; Bethlehem, Judea (martyred by King Herod the Great)
Cause of death	Infanticide
Venerated in	Catholic Church; Eastern Orthodoxy; Oriental Orthodoxy; Lutheran Church; Anglican Church;
Canonized	Pre-Congregation
Feast	27 December (West Syriac); 28 December (Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Communion); 29 December (Eastern Orthodoxy); 10 January (East Syriac);
Attributes	Martyr's palm; Crown of martyrdom;
Patronage	Foundlings; Babies; Children's choirs;

The Massacre (or Slaughter) of the Innocents is an incident in the Nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18) in which Herod the Great, king of Judea, orders the execution of all male children who are two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem. Christians venerate the Holy Innocents as the first Christian martyrs, but a majority of Herod biographers, and "probably a majority of current biblical scholars" consider the story fabricated or unhistorical.

The Feast of the Holy Innocents, also known as Childermas, is celebrated in the Western Christian Churches on 28 December, the fourth day of Christmastide. In Eastern Christianity, the feast is celebrated on various dates, depending on the denomination.

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