Procession

We had already seen many preparations for processions yesterday and also the previous weekends and talked about missing a procession in our village. Our surprise was great when we left for a bike ride this morning. Bronk and we were going on a cycle ride.

Processions are not allowed everywhere in the Netherlands. Somewhere in history, it has been decided by government that it was only allowed wherever it had taken place in 1848. When from about 1630 our village fell under the Reformed States of Holland, processions were banned. Processions were held in neighbouring villages, because they fell under the Catholic Spanish and later Austrian rule. After the invasion of the French in 1794, all religion was banned. After a treaty between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII in 1801, religion was allowed again.
It could be proved that a procession had been held in the year 1848.

We wouldn't have stayed home for it. We cycled another sunny day.