Commemoration of the Holy Innocents

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,

For to preserve this day

This poor Youngling for Whom we sing

By, by, lully, lullay?

Herod the king, in his raging,

Charged he hath this day

His men of might, in his own sight,

All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!

And ever morn and day

For Thy parting neither say nor sing,

By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay

Today marks the Commemoration of the Holy Innocents

~~~

Then Herod,
when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,
became furious,
and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem
and in all that region who were two years old or under,
according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

(Matthew 2:16-18 ESV)

On the 4th Day of Christmas: The Holy Innocents

December 28 marks the commemoration of the Holy Innocents.  Who are the "Holy Innocents?"  These are the children who were killed by Herod after the visit of the Magi.

Curiously enough, the church celebrates the Magi on January 6, so it would seem our celebration of the Holy Innocents is a bit early. 

The Holy Innocents, like the Feast of Stephen, falls on the day the saint(s) or martyr(s) entered into eternal glory.  Church tradition holds that the date of the slaughter of the Innocents is December 28.

The Feast of Epiphany was placed into the church calendar to help us celebrate the life of Christ during the church year, so it comes at the end of the 12 Days of Christmas.

An excellent carol that celebrates the Holy Innocents is the Coventry Carol.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,

For to preserve this day

This poor Youngling for Whom we sing

By, by, lully, lullay?

Herod the king, in his raging,

Charged he hath this day

His men of might, in his own sight,

All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!

And ever morn and day

For Thy parting neither say nor sing,

By, by, lully, lullay.

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.