Holy Innocents of Bethlehem

The 14,000 Holy Innocents slain by Herod in Bethlehem.

The Holy Innocents are the young children of Bethlehem and its borders slain by King Herod, who, fearing the newborn King announced by the Magi, ordered the death of all the male children of two years and under. The Gospel sees in their death the fulfillment of the prophecy of Rachel weeping for her children, and the Church numbers them by tradition at fourteen thousand.

They are honored as the first blood shed for Christ, infants crowned as martyrs before they could speak. They are commemorated on December 29.

Feast day

On the New Calendar, Holy Innocents of Bethlehem is commemorated on December 29. Churches on the Old (Julian) Calendar keep the feast on January 11 of the civil calendar.

Also commemorated on December 29

• Marcellus of the Unsleeping Ones

  Venerable, Μάρκελλος

  Venerable Marcellus, Abbot of the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones.

  Name days: Markellos, Marcellus, Marcello

• George of Nicomedia

  Hierarch, Γεώργιος Νικομηδείας

  George, Bishop of Nicomedia, hymnographer.

• Thaddeus of Studion

  Venerable, Θαδδαίος ο Ομολογητής

  Venerable Thaddeus the Confessor of the Monastery of Studion.

• All Christians Martyred by Hunger, Cold and the Sword

  Saint, Πάντες οι Χριστιανοί οι μαρτυρικώς τελειωθέντες

  Commemoration of all Orthodox Christians who died as martyrs for Christ by hunger, thirst, cold and the sword.

Icon: public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.