Spring Break was coming, and one night at dinner Mom said, “I’ve been trying to come up with ideas for Break, and I think we should go back to Škofja Loka.” This was met with confused faces. “Remember the cute town in Slovenia where we stayed last Easter?” she tried again. “The one where we could hear the church bells all night from our hotel room.” This was … not her strongest pitch. Dad tried to help ...“You mean where we could hear the generator for the church bells all night?” Thanks Dad, not the most helpful.

And then ... plot twist ... Mom said, “Also, the whole town puts on a Passion Play for Easter. It’s been happening for hundreds of years, but it only takes place every six or so years… and THIS is one of them.” NOW we were listening.

The Škofja Loka Passion Play (or Škofjeloški pasijon) is one of the oldest preserved dramatic texts in Slovenian, dating back to 1721. It’s not just a play. It’s a full-town production involving something like 1500 local volunteers. And it doesn't happen every year, which makes it feel extra special.

Naturally, there were questions ... Would it be in Slovenian? Yes. Did we speak Slovenian? No. Would we still understand it? Hopefully. How long would it be? A mystery. Would it be outside? Obviously. Might it be cold and/or raining? Yes, and yes. Did Mom have a backup plan? Not a good one. And so, we went.

The performance happens on multiple stages set throughout the town, with the actors moving from stage to stage as the story progresses. Hundreds of volunteer townspeople and several townshorses work to bring this centuries-old tradition to life. No big production company. No flashy effects (incense doesn’t count as flashy). Just commitment and community.

It was beautiful. Unexpected. A little magical. And a lot spiritual.