One of the most significant Catholic holidays is Corpus Christi (Corpus Dominis in Latin). It is celebrated on the Thursday following the feast of Trinity. In Germany, Austria, Spain and a number of other European countries, this holiday is an official day off.
The Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist by Jesus Christ. The Eucharist (Greek "thanksgiving") is the main sacrament of the Christian church, otherwise called the sacrament of communion. The sacrament of the Eucharist was established by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper. According to Christian teaching, bread and wine at the celebration of the Eucharist are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, with which believers partake.
The origins of this holiday go back to the 13th century. In 1209, a young nun from the Augustinian Order Juliana von Luttich, who lived in Liege (Belgium), had a vision: a disc of the moon with dark spots on the edges. This vision was interpreted as the absence of a feast for the church in honor of the sacred gift of the Eucharist, and from 1247 a special Eucharistic celebration began to be celebrated in the Liège diocese.
In 1263, the Czech priest Peter from Prague, during a pilgrimage to Rome, visited the Church of St. Christina in Bolsene. And here a miracle happened: blood began to ooze from the consecrated wafer. Several drops of blood fell on the church's carved decor and marble floors. On August 11, 1264, in memory of this miracle, Pope Urban IV (1261-1264) established the feast of Corpus Christi as mandatory for the entire Latin Church. In 1311, under Pope Clement V (1305-1314), the holiday was confirmed at the council in Vienne, and in 1317, under Pope John XXII (1316-1334), this holiday was finally established throughout the Catholic world.
An indispensable ritual of the holiday is grandiose processions with the Holy Gifts. Because of the real presence of Christ in the tabernacle, the consecrated bread is an object of worship. In the form of a consecrated wafer, Christ is swept by in a festive procession that usually passes through the entire city. Four thrones are erected at selected points, at which the procession stops. At each of the four thrones, the first chapters of the Gospel are read alternately from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In the intervals between the stands, hymns are sung in honor of Christ and the Holy Eucharist.
Initially, the form of the procession with the Holy Gifts, especially in Germany, resembled a tour of agricultural land: the procession went around a city or village with all their fields, in the direction of the four cardinal points, stops were made, during which they prayed for good weather and a bountiful harvest. Associated with this is the custom at all four stops to read passages from the four Gospels. Over time, the forms of worship became more and more complex, right up to theatrical performances, and in some countries they acquired their own unique flavor.
The German name for the holiday Fronleichnam - the feast of Corpus Christi - comes from the medieval High German word "fronlicham" (vronlicham) - the Body of the Lord. In Austria, Corpus Christi was celebrated in Tyrol and Styria as early as 1285, in Salzburg in 1352, and in Vienna in 1334. According to church tradition, on this day, mass processions are organized everywhere accompanied by the ringing of bells and with hymns of praise. All along their path, garlands of flowers are stretched across the streets, houses are decorated with greenery, flowers and carpets, the road is covered with fresh flowers. Pictures on religious themes are made from fresh flowers. Lighted candles are placed on the windows of the houses. The holiday ends with a collective feast on the church square.
In every land, the feast of the body of Christ has its own unique differences. In Linz and other cities in Upper Austria, "lake processions" are organized to commemorate the introduction of this holiday during the Counter-Reformation. In Salzburg, during the festive procession, beautifully decorated "prangstangen" - wooden poles 6–8 m long and weighing up to 30 kg are carried. They are peeled of bark and beautifully intertwined with garlands of flowers. It takes about 40,000 flowers to decorate one such pole! According to legend, this custom was born in memory of the miraculous deliverance of these places from locusts. And on the border between Bavaria and Austria, the Salzach River, on this day, a ceremony of blessing the river is performed.
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The holiday is especially solemnly celebrated in Spain. On this day, in all cities and villages, mass processions are organized to the sound of bells with hymns of praise, with candles and banners in their hands. The priest is at the head and carries a tabernacle with the Body of Christ under a canopy. The processions are furnished with special splendor. Garlands of flowers are stretched across the streets, balconies of nearby houses are decorated with greenery, flowers and carpets, the road is covered with fresh flowers.
One of the most colorful elements of the holiday is participation in the procession of "giants" and "dwarfs", or otherwise they were called "golovans". Giant - up to 4 meters - figures depicted biblical characters (Goliath, King Herod). In the 18th century in Toledo, four pairs of "giants" represented Asia, Europe, America and Africa.
In addition to the "giants" and "dwarfs", "horses" also participate in the procession - a frame covered with cloth is fixed on the dancer's belt, like a horse's blanket. A papier-mâché horse head is attached in front, and a tail made of ropes is suspended from behind.
In some cities of Catalonia, on the way to the church, a cheerful dance was performed with a large gilded figure of an eagle, which was carried by three people. The eagle was planted in the beak of a live dove. It was then auctioned off and the dancers divided the proceeds. There are always plenty of people who want to buy a pigeon - according to local belief, the one who eats this pigeon will not leave good luck all year round.
But the most important thing for the Spaniards is to create floral carpets before the holiday.
The pre-holiday night is a real flower orgy. In the evening, city dwellers go out and start preparing for the holiday.
Tomorrow, a mosaic of carnations will be laid out on the street. Today the carnations need to be prepared. In a matter of hours, the streets and squares of the city turn into a continuous flower bed.
For the inhabitants of Spanish cities, the holiday of Corpus Christi is also a symbol of the inviolability of the tradition, passed down from generation to generation. For one night, everyone in the city becomes artists. The so-called katifas, translated from the Catalan language as "flower carpets", were created. To create "katifas" you need a pre-drawn sketch, moss, coffee grounds, rice straw and grass.
The creation of floral carpets is one of the oldest Catalan rituals. The first katifas in the city of Sitges dates back to the 13th century. For seven centuries, the technique of creating floral carpets has remained unchanged. Only the themes of the drawings have become much more diverse. Previously, subjects were chosen exclusively biblical, but now artists enjoy complete freedom.
The time it takes to create a katifas depends on its size and the complexity of the drawing. And, of course, on how many people are involved in the process. It is said that the largest carpet made in Sitges stretches over two kilometers. Fifty local residents worked on it for exactly one day.
And then came the day that everyone was waiting for. Unlike most Catalan celebrations, Corpus Christi in Sitges is a quiet and solemn holiday, no fireworks, no firecrackers, no sparklers. Only flowery rivers that flow smoothly through the city streets. It takes a lot of skill to navigate these streets - otherwise you risk ruining the work of art under your feet. The authors, who worked all night on their masterpieces, patiently wait for the reaction of the public or help neighbors who did not have time to complete the creative process.
The finishing touch to create a floral carpet called "Cactus". It took over a thousand carnations and countless amounts of rice straw, moss and grass to create it.
In the evening, when the festive service is over, the procession of the inhabitants of Sitges will pass over the flower carpets, remembering more than one day about the wonderful holiday.
From the book: "100 Great Holidays" Elena Olegovna Chekulaeva