THIRD DAY of CHRISTMAS:
Holy Innocents’ Day, Childremas
The focus this Third Day of Christmas is on children, so go on: dote on your kids. Equally important, though, I think, is to reconnect this day and every now and again with the children we once were. Are there favorite things you used to do then that you just don’t do anymore? What was your favorite book when you were a kid, or your favorite movie, or your favorite thing to eat? Today, Childremas, is a good day to go back and give those things another try. It is a day to reconnect and speak, as Garrison Keillor once said, our very first language. Christmas gives us this excuse, and Childremas does especially.
While the focus is on children, Childremas takes its name from the darker side of the Christmas story. When King Herod learned of the star over Bethlehem and the child that was born there, he became anxious about his throne. These are some of the most dangerous people: insecure people in positions of power who feel threatened. And so Herod ordered the slaughter of all the children of Judea. They are remembered as the Holy Innocents, and another name for this day is Holy Innocents’ Day. It is considered the unluckiest day of the year, and not a day to begin a new project or business. It’s probably better all around if we just take the day to play.
Image: “Children by the Christmas Tree” by Leopold Graf von Kalckreuth. Oil on canvas, c. early 20th century. [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons.