May 2008
Feast of Corpus Christi
Fronleichnam (the Feast of Corpus Christi) marks the end of the Easter cycle. Also known in Bavaria as
Prangertag (prangen meaning adorned), the holiday is celebrated in many villages with a procession. The basic elements of today’s Fronleichnam proceedings follow the Spanish procession order from the 16th century, which was introduced in Bavaria by Jesuit monks. It usually opens with altar boys carrying a cross, followed by the children of the village and delegates of the local clubs. The baldachin, under which the monstrance with the holy host is carried, is flanked by gunmen and altar boys swinging incense. The procession ends with a band and village residents dressed in traditional costumes.
One of the most picturesque processions will take place on May 22 in Bad Tölz, where the
Fronleichnamsprozession will commence at 8 am from the Marien Fountain on Marktstrasse. The first Feast of Corpus Christi procession in Bavaria took place in Benediktbeuren in 1273. This year, that town’s procession is scheduled on May 22 at 8 pm, starting from the Basilika St. Anna on Don-Bosco-Strasse. For a list of all processions in the Munich area, visit
www.oberbayern-tourismus.de. <<<
