Holy Blood Procession (Sign Language - DGS)

Every year on Ascension Day, the Holy Blood Procession winds its way through Bruges’s Old Town. The Holy Blood Procession was established in 1304 as an expression of gratitude and Christian faith.

The focus is on commemorating the suffering of Jesus Christ. The procession is based on biblical traditions. 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 Rorate. Next comes the New Testament, from the Nativity in Bethlehem to Pentecost. The fourth part depicts the arrival of the Holy Blood relic in Bruges. In the final part, members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood accompany the shrine containing the precious relic.

Over 1,800 participants sing, play music, dance, and act. The style of the procession is reminiscent of the Burgundian era, when guilds, artisans, brotherhoods, and the “Rhetorikkammern” (poets’ guilds) were responsible for staging the scenes.

Follow the Holy Blood Procession with audio description on this tour. The audio description is divided into 20 parts. Turn on the Bluetooth function on your phone or tablet. During the procession, you will receive regular notifications; you can then start the audio description, which provides a description of the scenes passing by.

Follow the Holy Blood Procession with explanations in German Sign Language (DGS) via this tour. The sign language videos are divided into 20 parts. Turn on the Bluetooth function on your phone 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 Holy Blood Procession 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.