Around 40,000 spectators turned up to watch the Holy Blood Procession in Bruges on Thursday. The procession that was first held in 1304 and commemorates the suffering of Christ has been part on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list since 2009. More than 1,700 extras had took part in the procession. Some just walked its route in costume while others sang, danced or played an instrument. The youngest extra taking part was a seven-week-old baby. He represented Jezus as an infant. The oldest person that took part was an organist aged 90.
Biblical stories form the basis of the procession, which is divided into four parts. It begins with scenes from the Old Testament, followed by an evocation of the New Testament in a style reminiscent of the Burgundian era.
The third part tells how the relic of the Holy Blood arrived in Bruges. In the fourth part, members of the "Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood" accompany the reliquary.
The procession got under way at 2:30pm. The weather was excellent with bright sunshine throughout. The event’s coordinator Matthieu Clarysse says that the procession passed smoothly with no incident reported among the participants and the many thousands of spectators.
As every year on Ascension Day, the reliquary containing drops of blood attributed to Christ was carried around the city by several deacons. The relic of the Holy Blood was transferred in 1148 from Jerusalem to Bruges by Count Thierry of Alsace.
The procession is organised each year on Ascension Day by the Brotherhood of the Holy Blood. Since 2009 it has been listed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible World Heritage.