Corpus Christi · Eyd-e Peykar va Khun-e Masih

Culture of origin: Christian · Cultural

Holiday sources: Australia (national) · Canada (federal) · Christianity · France · Germany (nationwide) · United Kingdom (England and Wales) · United States (federal)

Corpus Christi, Latin for "the Body of Christ", celebrates the Eucharist. It grew from the visions of Juliana of Liège, and Pope Urban IV made it a feast of the whole Church in 1264. Its processions carry the consecrated host through streets decked with flowers and carpets of petals. It is a public holiday in about 25 countries, among them Austria, Poland, Portugal, Croatia and Brazil, and in parts of Germany, Spain and Switzerland. Where it is not a holy day of obligation it is moved to the following Sunday; the Thursday is shown.