Holy Blood Procession (VGT)

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

The overarching theme is the commemoration of the suffering of Jesus Christ. The biblical stories form the basis of the procession. Thematically, the Holy Blood Procession is divided into five parts. The reenactment begins with an introduction. This is followed by the Old Testament, from the Garden of Eden to the Rorate. Next comes the New Testament, from the Nativity in Bethlehem to Pentecost. The fourth part recounts how the relic of the Holy Blood came to be in Bruges. In the final part, members of the Noble Confraternity of the Holy Blood accompany the shrine in which the precious relic is enshrined.

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

Follow the Holy Blood Procession with explanations in Flemish Sign Language (VGT) 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; at that moment, you can start the sign language commentary, which provides a description of the scenes passing by.

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