The day of the innocents.

In Spain and Ibero-America, the equivalent to April Fools day is held on the 28th December, originally a Christian day of celebration of the Massacre of the Innocents.

The Christian celebration is a holiday in its own right, a religious one, but the tradition of pranks not, though the latter is observed yearly. After somebody plays a joke or a prank on somebody else, the joker usually cries out, in Ibero-America: “Inocente palomita que te dejaste engañar” (You innocent dove that allowed to get yourself fooled), as a popular expression. In Spain it is common to say just “¡Inocente!” (Innocent!).

Just like April, often the national media will include a nonsense story in their broadcasts. In some villages youngsters of a village light bonfires and one of them acts as the mayor who orders townspeople to carry out civic tasks such as sweeping the streets. Refusal to comply results in fines which are used to pay for the celebration.

As times have progressed, the day has become less innocent with people and properties frequently pelted with eggs, or worse, and damage and injury often being caused in the name of “¡Inocente!”