Blood Friday in Weingarten

The Friday after Ascension Day is a public holiday in Weingarten. The veneration of the Holy Blood relic on the so-called Blood Friday has been a fixed tradition of the city for over 900 years. According to legend, the relic, which is kept in the Basilica of St. Martin, contains a drop of blood from Jesus Christ. During the Blood Ride, the Holy Blood rider carries the relic through the city and the fields. Up to 2,500 pilgrims – and since 2022 also female pilgrims – accompany him in Europe's largest mounted procession. A delegation from Weingarten's Italian partner city, Mantua, also regularly travels to participate.