Procession of the Holy Blood (BSL)

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

The dominant theme is the remembrance of the suffering of Jesus Christ. The biblical narratives form the basis of the procession. Thematically, the Procession of the Holy Blood is divided into five parts. The reenactment begins with an introduction. This is followed by the Old Testament, from Paradise to the Rorate. Next comes the New Testament, from the Birth in Bethlehem to Pentecost. The fourth part recounts how the relic of the Holy Blood came to be in Bruges. In the final part, the members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood accompany the shrine in which the precious relic is kept.

More than 1,800 participants sing, play music, dance, and act. The style of the procession is reminiscent of the Burgundian period when guild members, craftsmen, brotherhoods, and rhetoric chambers were responsible for performing the scenes.

Follow the Procession of the Holy Blood with explanations in Sign Language (BSL) via this tour. The videos in sign language are divided into 20 parts. Turn on the Bluetooth function on your smartphone or tablet. During the procession, you will receive regular notifications; you can then start the sign language explanation, which provides 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.