The Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, known as Corpus Christi, is a liturgical celebration held on a Thursday, 11 days after Pentecost and 60 days after Easter, falling between May 21 and June 23. For Catholics, Corpus Christi and the following eight days (the octave) represent a public declaration of faith in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Beyond its religious significance, the feast also holds an important place in Polish folk traditions.
The observance of Corpus Christi began in 1246 in Belgium, initiated by St. Juliana of Liège, an Augustinian nun from Mont Cornillon. After experiencing visions in which Jesus requested a feast in honor of the Eucharist, she persuaded the local bishop, Robert, to establish the feast in the Diocese of Liège. In 1252, a papal legate extended the celebration to Germania. However, it was only after a Eucharistic miracle in 1262 in Bolsena, Italy—where a consecrated host began to bleed—that Pope Urban IV officially instituted Corpus Christi for the entire Church in 1264 through the papal bull Transiturus.
In Poland, the feast was first introduced by Bishop Nankier in 1320 in the Diocese of Kraków. By 1420, the Synod of Gniezno recognized Corpus Christi as a universal celebration observed in all churches across the country.
Eucharistic processions on Corpus Christi were introduced slightly later than the feast itself. Traditionally, they involved municipal authorities, the military, artisan guilds, and numerous religious brotherhoods. To this day, in parts of Italy and Latin America, the streets where the procession passes are adorned with flowers. In Spain, house walls are also decorated with floral arrangements. The creation of elaborate flower carpets traces back to medieval traditions when royal gardens donated flowers to decorate cathedrals in honor of Corpus Christi.
During the feast, outdoor altars are constructed, featuring a space for the monstrance, religious symbols, and elements representing various professions, organizations, and associations. These altars are beautifully decorated with flowers and greenery, often birch or linden branches. In the past, birch branches held great symbolic meaning—they were used in healing, protective, and magical rituals. After the ceremony, participants would take these branches home, placing them in fields to protect crops from storms, disease, and pests, or under roofs to guard homes against fire and other disasters.
Today, many still bring birch branches home, believing they carry God’s blessing and ward off misfortune. However, few remember the agrarian origins of this custom.
The Corpus Christi Procession
The procession to four altars is the central element of Corpus Christi. At each altar, the Gospel is read, and the celebrant blesses the faithful with the monstrance containing the Holy Eucharist. The procession follows a set structure—the priest carries the monstrance under a canopy from altar to altar, accompanied by the scent of incense, the sound of bells, girls scattering flower petals, and boys ringing small handbells. Banners, religious images, and flags are carried ahead of the canopy, followed by the faithful. In some regions, participants wear traditional folk costumes, emphasizing regional heritage.
The most vibrant Corpus Christi processions take place in Łowicz and Spycimierz, where streets are covered in intricate floral carpets. In Podhale, the celebrations also feature strong folk elements. Meanwhile, the Przemyśl procession unites Latin and Greek Catholic faithful.
Historically, Corpus Christi processions have also served as expressions of national identity. During Poland’s partitions, they often became demonstrations of Polish patriotism. In the communist era, participation in the procession carried both religious and national significance, serving as a form of resistance against imposed ideology, sometimes incorporating solidarity and patriotic themes.