Procession of the Holy Blood (VGT)

Every year on Ascension Day, the Procession of the Holy Blood passes through the historic city centre of Bruges. The Procession of the Holy Blood originated in 1304 as an expression of gratitude and faith.

The dominant theme is the remembrance of the suffering of Jesus Christ. The biblical stories form the basis of the procession. Thematically, the Holy Blood Procession is divided into four or five parts. The evocation begins with an introduction. This is followed by the Old Testament, from Paradise to Rorate. The New Testament is then discussed, from the Birth in Bethlehem to Pentecost. The fourth part tells how the relic of the Holy Blood ended up in Bruges. In the last part, the members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood accompany the shrine in which the precious relic is stored.

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

Follow the Holy Blood Procession 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 mobile 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 Procession of the Holy Blood is on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO World Heritage).