Today is FRONLEICHNAM, Corpus Christi, and here is the Corpus Christi lake procession that takes place every year on Staffelsee, in Seehausen near Murnau. The only one of its kind in Germany.
A public holiday in some German states, many Catholics, as well as some Protestants, attend church services, and after these sing and pray in processions.
Some processions are small and traditional, others large, extravagant, involving hundreds, often including musicians and in some regions with gun salutes. While streets are covered with birch tree branches, fresh grass, or carpets of fresh flowers.
The Blessed Sacrament is displayed, a statement that the sacrifice of Christ was for the salvation of the whole world. "Corpus Christi" is Latin for "the body of Christ" and "Fronleichnam" in Middle High German, and processions are Fronleichnamsprozessionen.
Ein Höhepunkt im katholischen Kirchenjahr, a highlight in the Catholic church year, Fronleichnam honors the Eucharist, Holy Communion. It is a celebration of the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples, and always held on the second Thursday after Pentecost, 60 days after Easter Sunday.
Tonight there will be Fronleichnamsfeste in the mainly Catholic southwestern states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, and western states of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland. Where Martin Luther and his teachings did not have such a permanent influence...at least in religion.
Photo of Corpus Christi procession at Lake Staffelsee, Bavaria. © picture alliance via merkur.de
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