Discover the Dark Origins of Spain’s Holy Innocents Day

Holy Innocents Day is the Spanish equivalent of April Fool’s Day when people play practical jokes. But the origins are a little more gruesome.

Holy Innocents Day takes place on the 28th of December. In Spain, the name of the fiesta is El Dia de los Santos Inocentes. It is one of many Spanish cultural festivals to feature during the festive period

The meaning of Holy Innocents Day

The day commemorates the time when Jewish King Herod gave blessing for the slaughter of children under two years old in Bethlehem. Previously, the three wise men stated the successor to the throne would be born in the town. So, fearful he might be overthrown, Herod chose to kill the children to prevent Jesus from wearing the crown.

Fortunately, an angel came to Joseph in a dream and urged him to flee to Egypt with his child and the mother. Consequently, the angel tricked Herod and the innocent child Jesus remained in Egypt until the Kings death.

Traditions of Holy Innocents Day

Today, on Holy Innocents Day, everyone tries to trick their family and friends. If you are the victim of a prank, the perpetrator shouts ‘inocente’ at you for the rest of the day. One of the most common pranks is to stick a paper man on someone’s back. However, tricks can escalate way beyond this. It is usually a fun day with much mischief and humour.

On Spanish TV, It has become a tradition for news channels to create and broadcast a false story as if it were real. It is the only time of the year they can do this. Families will sit to watch and figure out the fake news item. Newspapers also print parody stories to catch people out. Some TV shows broadcast celebrity pranks to raise funds for charity.

A floury version of Holy Innocents Day

In Ibi, a town in the Alicante region, they have their own tradition. They call it the Dia des Enfarinats or day of the flour coating. It is a representation of a dispute between the ruling party and the opposition. The group of enfarinats includes the mayor, the judge and district attorney. On the opposition team, everyone wears a black top hat and will try to overthrow them from power. They fight by throwing flour and fireworks. A real theatrical spectacle.

Other variations

In Fraga, in the Huesca province, people celebrate Holy Innocents Day by throwing eggs . Whereas, in the town of Tremp, in Lérida province, they hang a big white paper man called Llufa from the church tower. People sing and dance along the streets. Later, they bring down the paper man and burn him..

In the Valencia town of Jalance, the celebrate the Day of the Crazy. This festival dates to the XVII century and features pagan symbolism. The young ones dress up in extravagant clothing and make-up to enjoy live music.

What to eat

On Holy Innocents Day, it is common to eat sweets called Huesos de Santo, or Saint’s bones. They include marzipan covered in syrup. Some people eat sweet profiteroles like those seen at Easter time. In Catalonia, the Panellets are the Catalan version of profiteroles. Bakers cover them with pine nuts, almonds or grated coconut.

Image: Fotógrafo Ibi