On 31st of May we celebrated Corpus Christi. Of course, it is not just a Polish religious feast, but here, in Poland, it is celebrated in a very beautiful and colorful way. Please, read some text about it and see some photos below. And maybe one day you will come to Poland and take part… : )
Corpus Christi – A national and religious holiday, a public holiday. This is not a fixed day holiday but always takes place on a Thursday usually in June but sometimes in May.

In a country like Poland where the majority of people are Catholics and most attend Mass this holiday is very popular (and visually extraordinary especially for the more secular Western European visitors).

A PIECE OF HISTORY 

This ‘holy day’ was established in 1247 in Liege as the outcome of the visions of Saint Julianne of Cornillon. The first processions in Poland took place in the Kraków diocese in 1320. A traditional procession leaves the church and continues on the streets with banners, holy pictures and in the central part of the procession a priest holding The Holy Host covered by a canopy. Children at the front of the procession sprinkle flowers in front of the priest. The procession stops at four altars along the route where prayers are said and hymns are sung.

 

 

The meaning of this holy day is the worship and adoration of Christ as symbolized by the Host.

It is a way of declaring in public the faith and the identity of a believer. The Church declares that on this day faith is not a private matter and that glorifying Christ is an obligation for all believers. Many people place garlands and pictures in their windows but the most decorative are the villages that decorate all the fences and streets where the procession is to take place with flowers, green leaves and sacral objects.

The most important processions usually start at noon but during the day you will have a chance to join larger or smaller procession in different parts of the city as from all the churches processions are conducted throughout the day. If you are in Poland at that time, you can join the people behind the priest or just watch it from the side and you will see that when the priest passes with the Host most of the people kneel down.

FOLK COSTUMES FOR A SPECIAL OCASION

In numerous parts of Poland, the Corpus Christi procession is also an opportunity to present regional costumes. In Pniewo (north-east Poland), you can see costumes from the Kurpie region, and in Łowicz, which is situated near Warsaw, your attention will be attracted by colorful stripes, which are an element of the Łowicz region costumes. In Poznań, in turn, the procession is adorned by “Bamberki” – female descendants of German settlers brought to the Greater Poland region in the eighteenth century. Their traditional costumes are topped with cornets, which are headdress decorated with flowers.

 

 

We’ve also been there!

Corpus Christi Celebration in Krakow.

 Click the PLAY button to watch our video story of that day.

credits pictures: gazeta krakowska, radio.zet, altao.pl , wiadomosci.wp.pl
sources text: http://www.thevisitor.pl/index.php?id=423

Still we have some places left for our Sacred Poland Pilgrimage & Holiday this year. Come to Poland and meet its amazing history, culture, traditions, spirituality, and… cuisine. : )

Or, if you have been here already, maybe you know someone to recommend or pilgrimages… : ) As you most probably know, we will be very happy to send you a voucher or even cash if some of your Friends or Relatives will join our pilgrimage. We call it our Ambassadors Programme. : ) Contact us, please, if you want to know more.

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