Filipinos join the whole of Christendom in observing Holy Innocents’ Day today, Monday, to recall the massacre of thousands of innocent children aged two and below.
The massacre was ordered by King Herod more than 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem in a bid to kill the newly born King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God whom he considered a threat to his throne.
By tradition, Filipinos celebrate Niños Inocentes or Holy Innocents’ Day with some add-ons similar to April Fools’ Day, when pranksters play tricks like borrowing money without the intention of paying it back.
Others may play other harmless tricks on friends and neighbors just for fun to commemorate Holy Innocents’ Day
So before lending money on Holy Innocents’ Day, think it over or you will be a hapless victim.
According to biblical records, Herod the Great was disturbed on learning that the child Jesus was born in Bethlehem to save mankind from sin.
He was so disturbed he would be removed from his throne that he ordered the killing of children aged two years and below.
But Herod was clueless where the Child Jesus was born in his own kingdom, so he thought of tricking the three kings by telling them he would like to join them when they came to visit the infant Jesus.
But an angel appeared to the Magi and told them to ignore Herod because of his bad intention. He told them to take another route going to Bethlehem guided by a comet.
The three kings followed the angel’s advice as they took another road going to Bethlehem, where they offered gifts to baby Jesus.
Matthew 2:16-18 says “Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.