Corpus Christi 2028

What is Corpus Christi?

Corpus Christi, Latin for the Body of Christ, is a Catholic feast that celebrates the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, and in many countries it is marked with outdoor processions in which the consecrated host is carried through towns in a monstrance, often under a canopy and accompanied by flower petals scattered on the route. The date is a Thursday, but in some countries the procession and the holiday are moved to the following Sunday. The feast is widely known by local names.

Some of the most distinctive customs are the flower carpets laid along processional routes, which are a feature of the celebrations in Poland, Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Austria and Germany, and the pageants of local guilds, bands and brotherhoods. In Poland the day, called Boże Ciało, is among the most widely kept religious holidays, and in German-speaking regions it is known as Fronleichnam. In German-speaking regions, the procession is often led by clergy, altar servers and local societies in traditional costume, and in some places the processions include guns fired as salutes. The mood is festive rather than solemn, since the feast celebrates the Eucharist rather than the Passion.

Why it is observed

The feast was established for the whole Western church in 1264 by Pope Urban IV, after the visions of Juliana of Liège, a nun in what is now Belgium, and the Eucharistic miracle reported at Bolsena in Italy, which helped bring support for the feast. The theologian Thomas Aquinas is traditionally credited with composing texts for its liturgy. Processions spread in the fourteenth century, and Protestant churches did not adopt the feast. Its place as a public holiday is therefore largely limited to countries and regions with a strong Catholic tradition. Its date reflects the church calendar.

How the date is set

Corpus Christi falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, 60 days after Easter Sunday. On the Western calendar it ranges from 21 May to 24 June. Some countries move the observance to the following Sunday.

How it is observed

Corpus Christi is a public holiday in Austria, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Poland, Portugal and San Marino on this site, and in parts of Germany and Switzerland, depending on state and canton. In Italy the celebration is moved to a Sunday, and in several other countries it is kept only in the church calendar. Shops and offices close where it is a holiday, and many people use the Friday as a bridge day. Pay and time off depend on the country and the contract. The day after is often taken as a bridge day.