Procession of the Holy Blood in Bruges

The ancient streets of Bruges, in Belgium, were host to the annual Holy Blood procession in time-honoured fashion last Thursday. Locals dressed up in period costume and the whole town swelled with visitors trying to catch a glimpse of the re-enactment of when the Count of Flanders brought Christ's Holy Blood back to his home town of Bruges after the Crusades. The Holy Blood Procession, originating in the 14th century, is now held annually on Ascension Day. A piece of cloth stained with blood was said to have been used to wipe Christ's wounds before being saved for posterity by Joseph of Arimathea. Usually housed in the Bruges cathedral, the holy relic is paraded around the town with great ceremony. For more information, see: www.holyblood.org