Celebrating Corpus Christi in Bolivia - Bolivia for Kids
by Kricket
(BoliviaBella.com)
Corpus Christi is a Christian religious festival that is celebrated by thousands and thousands of people all over Bolivia each year. Over 67% of Bolivians consider themselves Catholic and another 5% or so are evangelical Christians (protestant).
Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, meaning Body of Christ, is a holiday celebrated on the 4th of June every year. It is also known as Corpus Domini. It's a holiday celebrating the body and blood of Jesus Christ, a festival in honor of the holy body and blood of Jesus Christ. It became a holiday after Juliana of Liège who, after years of work, finally made it into a holiday in the 13th Century. She was born between 1191 and 1192 the city of Liège, Belgium. In 1208 she reported a vision of Christ where it is said she was told to ask for the creation of the feast. This dream went on for 20 years where she kept it a secret until she finally told it to her confessor who told the bishop. Eventually... wait...
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FUN FACT TIME!
Did you know it took 40 YEARS until bishops made it a holiday? Imagine 40 years having the same vision over and over again!
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As I was saying... eventually bishops made Corpus Christi into a feast celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Bolivia isn't the only place it's celebrated either. It is also celebrated as a public holiday in Austria, Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, East Timor, parts of Liechtenstein, Monaco, Panama, Peru, Poland, San Marino, parts of Spain and Switzerland, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.
So that was Corpus Christi and its origins. For example, here in Santa Cruz, the Tahuichi soccer stadium will fill with nearly 40,000 people for Corpus Christi mass each year!
In Cochabamba, school children prepare enormous colorful "rugs" made with hundreds of thousands of flowers depicting Jesus on the cross and other religious themes, with which they cover the streets. They call them "mosaicos" or mosaics. You can see some of them in the video above.
In La Paz and most large cities people buy flowers to decorate the churches and cathedrals and bake special cookies and baked goods, meals and beverages for the day.
Many masses take place outside in the streets and statues of Jesus or Mary are carried in long processions for hours throughout the cities of Bolivia, and of course everyone will be given Communion (bread and wine), also known as the Eucharist.
Lots of fancy stuff takes place all over Bolivia. Bolivians even cook and bake special foods just for this day. Image Source. Are there any special Corpus Christi celebrations in your country?
Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, meaning Body of Christ, is a holiday celebrated on the 4th of June every year. It is also known as Corpus Domini. It's a holiday celebrating the body and blood of Jesus Christ, a festival in honor of the holy body and blood of Jesus Christ. It became a holiday after Juliana of Liège who, after years of work, finally made it into a holiday in the 13th Century. She was born between 1191 and 1192 the city of Liège, Belgium. In 1208 she reported a vision of Christ where it is said she was told to ask for the creation of the feast. This dream went on for 20 years where she kept it a secret until she finally told it to her confessor who told the bishop. Eventually... wait...
--------------------
FUN FACT TIME!
Did you know it took 40 YEARS until bishops made it a holiday? Imagine 40 years having the same vision over and over again!
--------------------
As I was saying... eventually bishops made Corpus Christi into a feast celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Bolivia isn't the only place it's celebrated either. It is also celebrated as a public holiday in Austria, Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, East Timor, parts of Liechtenstein, Monaco, Panama, Peru, Poland, San Marino, parts of Spain and Switzerland, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.
So that was Corpus Christi and its origins. For example, here in Santa Cruz, the Tahuichi soccer stadium will fill with nearly 40,000 people for Corpus Christi mass each year!
In Cochabamba, school children prepare enormous colorful "rugs" made with hundreds of thousands of flowers depicting Jesus on the cross and other religious themes, with which they cover the streets. They call them "mosaicos" or mosaics. You can see some of them in the video above.
In La Paz and most large cities people buy flowers to decorate the churches and cathedrals and bake special cookies and baked goods, meals and beverages for the day.
Many masses take place outside in the streets and statues of Jesus or Mary are carried in long processions for hours throughout the cities of Bolivia, and of course everyone will be given Communion (bread and wine), also known as the Eucharist.
Lots of fancy stuff takes place all over Bolivia. Bolivians even cook and bake special foods just for this day. Image Source. Are there any special Corpus Christi celebrations in your country?
Sources:
https://youtu.be/JfXb9tN00fw
Submitted 2015-06-02
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