Procession of the Holy Blood (LSE)

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

The dominant theme concerns the Passion of Christ. 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 Creation to the Prophets. 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 Bruges. In the final part, members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood accompany the reliquary containing the precious relic.

More than 1,800 participants sing, play music, dance, and perform. The style of the procession takes us back to the Burgundian era, when guilds, artisans, brotherhoods, and rhetorical societies were responsible for staging the scenes.

Follow the Holy Blood Procession with sign language (LSE) explanations via this tour. The sign language videos 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 as they pass 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.