Holy Blood Procession (VGT)

Every year on Our Lord's Assumption, the Procession of the Holy Blood passes through the historic center of Bruges. The Holy Blood Procession originated in 1304 as an expression of gratitude and faith.

The predominant theme is the memory of the suffering of Jesus Christ. Biblical stories form the basis of the procession. Thematically, the Holy Blood Procession is divided into four parts. The evocation begins with the Old Testament, from Paradise to Rorate. Next comes the New Testament, from the Nativity in Bethlehem to Pentecost. The third part recounts how the relic of the Holy Blood ended up in Bruges. In the final section, members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood accompany the shrine in which the precious relic is stored.

More than 1,800 participants sing, make music, dance and act. The style of the procession recalls the Burgundian era when guilds, crafts, brotherhoods and chambers of rhetoric were responsible for the interpretation of the scenes.

Follow the Procession of the Holy Blood with explanations in Flemish Sign Language (VGT) via this tour. The videos in sign language are divided into 20 parts. Turn on the bluetooth function of your cell phone or tablet. During the procession you will regularly receive a notification; at that moment you can start the explanation in sign language, which gives you a description of the scenes that pass by.

The Holy Blood Procession is on the representative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity (UNESCO World Heritage).