The Procession of the Holy Blood is a large religious procession, dating back to the Middle Ages, which takes place each Ascension Day in Bruges, Belgium. The centerpiece is the Blood of Christ, a coagulated relic said to become fluid again each year on this day. Sixty to one hundred thousand spectators watch the procession, a parade of historical scenes and biblical stories. Choirs, dance groups (e.g. dance theatre Aglaja), animals (ranging from geese to camels), horse-drawn floats and small plays with many actors pass by within a couple of hours. More than 3,000 people participate in the spectacle, which is also called "Brugges Schoonste Dag" (The Most Beautiful Day in Bruges). The event retains its spiritual aspect, as many bishops, priests and nuns from all over the world come to celebrate. When the Holy Blood passes by, the crowd becomes still and silent in reverence. The event is protected by the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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Procession of the Holy Blood, 2010
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Virgin Mary, May 2010
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New Testament in Dance
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Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya on the official viewing stand
Famous quotes containing the words procession of, procession, holy and/or blood:
“Its imaginary value will increase with the years, and if he [his grandson-in-law] lives to my age, or another half century, he may see it carried in the procession of our nation’s birthday, as the relics of the saints are in those of the church.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“Nobody had ever instructed him that a slave-ship, with a procession of expectant sharks in its wake, is a missionary institution, by which closely-packed heathen are brought over to enjoy the light of the Gospel.”
—Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896)
“In sober mornings do not thou rehearse
The holy incantation of a verse;”
—Robert Herrick (1591–1674)
“Why hast thou lost the fresh blood in thy cheeks,
And given my treasures and my rights of thee
To thick-eyed musing and cursed melancholy?”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)