Holy Innocents' Day

American

noun

December 28, a day of religious observance commemorating the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem by Herod's order.

Holy Innocents' Day British

noun

Dec 28, a day commemorating the massacre of male children at Bethlehem by Herod's order (Matthew 2:16); Childermas

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

No, this is Holy Innocents' Day, and it is not worth while reading from the Bible for me.

From Project Gutenberg

The Confessor's Church as you will remember was consecrated on Childermas, the Holy Innocents' Day.

From Project Gutenberg

On Holy Innocents' Day, a bachelor was murdered by a skinner in a street riot, and the murderer, though he was seen by some respectable citizens, was allowed to escape.

From Project Gutenberg

Specimens of the sermons preached on Holy Innocents' Day have come down to us from the reigns of Henry VIII. and Mary, and are of extreme interest.

From Project Gutenberg

I must give you a little specimen of Ælfric's writing, a piece taken from his beautiful homily on Holy Innocents' Day.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023