Corpus Christi Festival

Corpus Christi Festival (Latin, “body of Christ”), festival of the Roman Catholic Church honouring the presence of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist, established in 1264 by Pope Urban IV. The feast falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, which, in turn, depends on the date of Easter. In some countries, however, the feast of Corpus Christi was transferred in 1969 to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday.

Until the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, the feast was characterized by splendid outdoor processions in which guilds, merchants, magistrates, nobility, and clergy participated. After the procession, mystery and miracle plays were performed in the public square by members of the guild. The custom of holding the religious procession outdoors was discontinued in all but the Roman Catholic countries following the Reformation. The performance of miracle plays survived for a longer time, especially in England.