Corpus Christi is observed in the United Kingdom by Christians, especially those who are Roman Catholics. This tradition is done in honour of the Holy Eucharist. Other names for it are the Feast of the Most Holy Body of Christ and Day of Wreaths. This year, it falls on Thursday 26 May.
Our dear students, we at Essay Writer provide you with this guide as you join your friends and school mates in experiencing the solemn, full of flower, and historically and culturally rich celebration of the Corpus Christi.
How People Celebrate
Churches in which Corpus Christi is an important celebration include the Roman Catholic Church and a few Anglican churches in the UK. Roman Catholic Christians see to it that they receive communion on the day of the Corpus Christi.
The first communion rites, especially of children, are mostly done during the day of the Corpus Christi. Also known as the Eucharist, this church sacrament or rite involves the symbolical eating of consecrated bread and wine or grape juice which represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ as in the Christian faith. The day is usually assigned on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday; some churches hold the celebration on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday.
Where to Go
One most known celebration of Corpus Christi is in Arundel, a town located in south-east England. The church has more than 100 years of tradition of the Corpus Christi. Every year, they hold a festival of flowers featuring a carpet of flowers in the central aisle of the Cathedral. As the Feast of the Most Holy Body of Christ, never to be absent are the faith’s holy mass and a procession of their Blessed Sacrament. The route of the procession starts at the cathedral and ends at the town’s castle.
History
The celebration of the Corpus Christi dates back to 1246. “Corpus Christi” is a Latin phrase that literally means “Body of Christ.” The event is a commemoration of the Last Supper of Jesus, the day before His Crucifixion in the accounts of the Bible.
In England, Corpus Christi was celebrated starting 1308, some accounts say. Other sources indicate that it was only between 1320 and 1325 that it was introduced in England and it was patterned from Belgium. It was a custom in England to hold special plays and pageants until 1547. These events were held by Corpus Christi guilds. You can see these practices in Oxford as they are recently revived there.
Experience the Solemnity
So, our dear students, choose among Arundel town, Oxford, or any other destination where you will visit to see the ceremonies, plays and pageants in celebration of the Corpus Christi. Wherever you may be with your Christian schoolmates and friends, we at Essay Writer would like to remind you of these historical, cultural and spiritual lessons of the Corpus Christi.