Living nativity set in ice
Mojstrana, 25 December - Living nativity scenes where actors act out scenes from the Bible are quite common in Slovenia, but in the Alpine village of Mojstrana, there is one that has an unparalleled backdrop, a 25-metre tall frozen waterfall.
Mojstrana
Living nativity against the backdrop of frozen waterfall in the Mlačca Gorge.
Photo: Tinkara Zupan/STA
Located in the Mlačca Gorge, the living nativity returns after a four-year hiatus and features 24 actors who will put on three daily shows from 25 to 30 December.
The authors, Nataša Cotman and Elizabeta Skumavc, started the show in 2002. When Covid hit in 2020 it was put on hold, but "it was the wish of all of us to revive it."
Over the years there have been 380 shows with an average of 300 spectators each, including many tourists and even bus groups from neighbouring Austria and Italy.
Aside from the setting, which is the work of a local association of ice climbers, the Mlačca living nativity is unique in that they put a contemporary spin on the classic Christmas story.
This year they have added dances by the angels, shepherds and kings. "We are trying to reach out to believers and non-believers alike, putting everything in the context of the story of Christ's birth," said Cotman.