Careful, today is “Dia de los Inocentes”

December 28th, 2015 (ICR News) Don’t be victim to a prank today, December 28^th.  Today is “El Día de los Inocentes,” in Costa Rica, similar to April Fools Day celebrated on April 1st in North America and Europe.

The celebration is a mixture of Christian and Pagan traditions that resulted in one day being set aside so that people can have fun, playing pranks on their friends.  The custom is also celebrated in Spain, Venezuela, and some other Latin American countries.

With time, the pranks have become more sophisticated – and far-reaching – with the aid of the Internet and mobile devices.

The “Día de los Santos Inocentes” commemorates the day more than 2,000 years ago when King Herod ordered the slaughter of male infants in his realm for fear of the prophecy that one of them would depose him from his throne.

According to the Bible, the newborn Jesus escaped that cruel decree because Joseph and Mary had taken him to Egypt, outside of the despot’s power, in obedience to the bidding of an angel.

Nowadays, many people are even unaware of its Biblical roots, and the day is now regarded as an excuse for practical jokes to be played upon the “innocents,” who are too ready to accept things at face value without suspicion of deceit or mischief.

As in North America and Europe on April Fools’ Day, some Spanish-language newspapers are also known to sneak in satirical new stories on December 28^th, so be careful what you take at face value in the Spanish-language press today.

Meanwhile, and unfortunately, emergency authorities in Costa Rica report an average of 200 “prank” phone calls to 911 each December 28^th.  As always, authorities urge the public to not engage in such activities, which result in delays responding to real emergencies.

Editor’s note: You can trust everything in today’s issue of ICR, we promise.  As an English-language publication, we hold on to our satire – a couple pieces of which have gone viral in the past (like this one) – until April 1^st.  

//EG//