Procession of the Holy Blood
Bruges, Belgium
Every Ascension Day more than 1,800 people from Bruges carry the relic of the Holy Blood through the historic centre in a four-part pageant of Old Testament, New Testament and city history, with horses, carts, choirs and over 250 live musicians. The procession is dated by the city to 1304, has been on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2009, and next takes place on Thursday 6 May 2027.