Día de los Inocentes: What is it, and how is it celebrated?
Many compare it to April Fool’s Day. While both days are associated with joy, mischief and harmless pranks, their origins are different. At Reliant, we honor this Hispanic tradition.
Día de los Inocentes: What is it, and how is it celebrated?
Many compare it to April Fool’s Day. While both days are associated with joy, mischief and harmless pranks, their origins are different. At Reliant, we honor this Hispanic tradition.
Día de los Inocentes, celebrated on December 28 in Hispanic communities, is a very special tradition characterized by pranks. The word inocente as an adjective means “free of guilt,” but as a noun, it’s also synonymous with someone who is easily fooled, naïve or unsuspecting. This connection makes it clear why pranks are called inocentadas.
This tradition has religious roots and started in Europe between the late 4th and 5th centuries. It arrived in the Americas with Spanish conquistadors and, as it was assimilated and reinterpreted by different Indigenous, mestizo and African cultures, it transformed and acquired popular and festive nuances. Some Latin communities still commemorate its religious origins with parades and ceremonies, but today, it also has a lighter tone and has become a space for society to laugh at itself, challenge authority and enjoy harmless pranks among friends.
The exact origin of April Fool’s Day is a mystery, but one popular theory links it to the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in France in the late 16th century. New Year’s Day changed from April 1 to January 1, and, whether by mistake, resistance or slow communication, some people continued celebrating on April 1. As a result, they became the targets of jokes and pranks, being referred to as “April fools.”
Each country has its own ways of celebrating Día de los Inocentes, combining pranks with cultural and religious events. Here are some of the most emblematic celebrations.
Many Latin American traditions for Día de los Inocentes originate in Spain and Europe. In the Iberian Peninsula, the date is marked by pranks (called inocentadas). One example is the practice of cutting out paper figures and sticking them on the backs of the unsuspecting. In France, the cut-out figure is a fish, and this tradition has been adopted and adapted in several Latin American countries.
In Mexico, December 28 is synonymous with pranks among family, friends and coworkers. A common prank is that, if someone lends something, the borrower jokingly says they won’t return it because that’s the rule, and the lender “fell for it as an inocente.”
In Colombia and the Caribbean, as in Mexico, it’s common for the media to publish spoof stories in newspapers and broadcast them on the radio and on television. Newsrooms work hard to create surprising and absurd headlines that test the public’s trust. The truth is revealed at the end of the publication, and the public accepts the joke with good humor.
Puerto Rico holds the Hatillo Mask Festival, a tradition brought to the island by immigrants from the Canary Islands. Every December 28 since the founding of the town of Hatillo in 1823, men dress in bright red, green and yellow with ruffles, ribbons, capes and a large hat. A parade of people and decorated floats begins around 2 p.m., and the air fills with the joyful sounds of traditional Puerto Rican music.
Venezuela celebrates the Fiestas de los Locos y Locainas, especially in the Andes region. People dress up and go out to dance, sing and play pranks. It’s a kind of mini carnival, where political and social satire is common and discontent is expressed through mockery. The Carnavales de los Locos date back to the Middle Ages in European countries like Germany, France, England and Spain. That tradition arrived in this region of Latin America during the colonization and reflects the Venezuelan people’s ability to laugh in the face of adversity.
In Guatemala, Día de los Inocentes is celebrated with processions and religious activities, though there’s also room for jokes and humor. In Ecuador, the city of Cuenca is famous for its Inocentes parade, where political and social satire is expressed through costumes and theatrical performances, making the date an event for social critique and community reflection.
Día de los Inocentes goes beyond simple fun. At its core, this day is a social escape valve, a moment when social norms relax and mockery is allowed, even toward authority figures. Through humor, Latin Americans channel their tensions and frustrations, finding in laughter a form of resistance in tough times.
This tradition also demonstrates the importance of being witty and clever in Latin American culture. The art of the prank, exaggeration and surprise are valued qualities and show the adaptability and resilience of the Latino community. It’s also a day to strengthen unity, as pranks and games are usually collective and foster fellowship and a sense of belonging.
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