Procession of the Holy Blood (LSF)

Every year on Ascension Day, the Holy Blood Procession winds its way through the historic city center of Bruges. The Holy Blood Procession began in 1304 as an expression of gratitude and faith.

The dominant theme refers to the Passion of Jesus Christ. The stories of the Bible form the basis of the procession. Thematically, the Holy Blood Procession consists of five parts. The reenactment begins with an introduction. Next comes the Old Testament, from the Garden of Eden to Rorate. The New Testament follows, from the Nativity in Bethlehem to Pentecost. The fourth part shows how the relic of the Holy Blood finally arrived in Bruges. In the final part, members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood escort the reliquary in which the precious relic is kept.

More than 1,800 participants sing, play music, dance, and perform. The style of the procession recalls the Burgundian period when guilds, corporations, confraternities, and chambers of rhetoric were responsible for interpreting the scenes.

Follow the Procession of the Holy Blood with sign language (LSF) explanations via this tour. The sign language videos are divided into 20 parts. Turn on the Bluetooth function on your cell phone or tablet. During the procession, you will receive regular notifications; you can then start the sign language explanation, which will provide a description of the scenes passing by.

The Procession of the Holy Blood is included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO).

Scan the QR code with ErfgoedApp start the tour, or start the tour in the app.