Fronleichnam // Corpus Christi

What felt like a majority of the city joined the nearly four hour event, beginning at 9am sharp on Thursday morning. Corpus Christi ("Fronleichnam") is a public holiday in Bavaria, meaning no work, no school, but only in Bavaria, Germany's only and most Catholic state.

The fest began in Marienplatz, the main town square, where thousands were gathered in the scorching sun - most were dressed in traditional bavarian lederhosen and dirndl (those outfits are no joke and certainly no costume, just plain old clothing for these southerners). Flags and iconic images were held high above the crowds, rosaries hung delicately from hands, and Mass began - in a balanced mixture of latin and german.

Following the conclusion of the Eucharist, the Corpus Christi procession began, wherein the bishop, dozens of priests and deacons, and countless (american equivalent of knights of columbus) led the procession through the streets of the city.

Speakers were set up along the way, playing the choir music in the streets, to which everyone sang along. With one stop for a gospel reading along the way, the procession eventually made it to the final altar in Königsplatz, on nearly the opposite end of the main town, where even more were crowded on steps of buildings and monuments.

And all along the way, without fail: police, volunteer firemen, and first-aid helpers monitored the streets and crowds. Though, surrounded by priests, nuns, and thousands of faithful, with Christ at the center, there was really no reason to fear.

{A comprehensive & personalized guide with reasons why we should all move to Bavaria is in the works. Keep on the look out for it, I'm oh so serious ;) }