innocents' day
Definition
- Proper noun:
- A Christian feast day: Innocents' Day is a solemn feast day observed on December 28th in the Western Christian calendar. It commemorates the massacre of the male children in Bethlehem by King Herod the Great, as recounted in the Gospel of Matthew, in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus.
Usage
- As a specific date: The term is used to refer to the specific calendar date and its associated religious observance.
- The church service on Innocents' Day is always very moving.
- In some traditions, Innocents' Day is a day of mourning and reflection.
Advanced Usage
- "Childermas": This is an older, traditional name for the same feast day.
- Childermas, another name for Innocents' Day, was once marked with somber ceremonies.
Variants and Related Words
- Holy Innocents: This phrase refers specifically to the children who were killed, and by extension, to the feast day itself.
- The Feast of the Holy Innocents is a reminder of the tragedy that preceded Jesus's escape to Egypt.
Synonyms
- Feast of the Holy Innocents: The full formal name for the observance.
- Childermas: The archaic name for the day.
Related Idioms and Cultural Notes
- While there are no common idioms using "Innocents' Day," the day itself is culturally associated with themes of innocence, persecution, and the suffering of children. In some historical folk traditions, it was considered an unlucky day to begin new ventures.
Noun
-
December 28, commemorating Herod's slaughter of the children of Bethlehem
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ chứa "innocents' day"