The stunning Soča Valley
“Kindness, tolerance, integrity, modesty, generosity - these are attributes that events permit us. They are our holiday moods, and we are as proud of them as of the fine clothes we have hung away to wear on occasions.”
Holidays are important to culture and knowing and appreciating a nation’s holidays can be a key factor in enjoying a trip abroad. In our first year of traveling full time after retiring from teaching in Texas, we spent a couple of days in Slovenia and were surprised that our visit coincided with not one, but two national holidays.
When we plan trips for our clients, we are always well aware of holidays. We talk about what may be closed and what might be fun to do on these special days. Sometimes we plan around these days so clients can avoid holiday issues if that is their preference, or fully experience the holiday if that is what they will enjoy most! Be we totally missed that boat for ourselves on this trip - and it turned out great anyway!
We arrived on Tuesday October 31 in the little town of Kobarid in the early afternoon. We checked into our room and set out on a walk to explore the town. It was exceptionally quiet. The information office was open so we stopped in to get some maps and were told that it was a holiday and that November 1 was a holiday too! I had no idea! I thought for a second about what holiday it could possibly be and nearly made a joke about Halloween, but thought better of it. I learned that October 31 is Reformation Day in Slovenia. According to the Slovenian Times, "Reformation Day, which has been observed in Slovenia since 1992, marks the day in 1517 when German priest Martin Luther made public "The Ninety-Five Theses", which sparked the Protestant Reformation. Although a predominantly Catholic country, Slovenia has celebrated Reformation Day as a national holiday since 1992 to remember a turbulent yet culturally rich period in the 16th century that produced the first book written in the Slovenian language."
The Soča River is a vibrant blue-green
All the stores were closed. We went in to a bar to see if we could get some food – maybe a sandwich or something….we were told they had no sandwiches, only toast! We asked what was on the toast and we were told – ham and cheese! So we had ham and cheese “toasts” for lunch and they were great. By the way, a toast is a grilled sandwich on bread!
Mount Triglav catching the last rays of sunlight
We were surprised again by All Saints’ Day, even though we learned just the day before that it was also a national holiday. I am Methodist and for me, All Saint’s Day is celebrated on the Sunday closest to Nov. 1 and we remember those in our church family who have died over the course of the past year by ringing a lone bell while each name is called and saying a communal prayer. It’s a lovely part of a Sunday church service.
In this year on All Saint's Day we took a four hour hike in the Slovenian mountains and then drove to a beautiful white church we saw on a hill top. We just wanted to see the church and admire the view. The road became more and more narrow and curvy as we reached the church. We had to pull over as cars came from the other direction. As we reached the church we saw that the tiny parking lot was jammed and people were creatively making their own parking places. Remember this was on a steep hill and most cars, including ours, are manual shift. There is a cemetery surrounding this church and as I approached I could see that there were loads of people there – some in the church participating in a service, others visiting graves and lighting candles, others talking outside the church because it was completely full inside.
Every single grave had beautiful, lush, fresh flowers and many lit candles in red glass covers sitting on it. It was an amazing experience to witness such a different way to respect this annual remembrance. If you get a chance, you might check out Google Images “All Saint’s Day Slovenia.”
Families decorating graves on All Saints' Day
Experiencing how other cultures celebrate holidays is one of the joys of travel. In addition to our Slovenian experience, we have been in the Amalfi coast for Palm Sunday, observed Christmas Eve services in Vienna, Caye Caulker, Copenhagen, and Salisbury, and New Year's Eve in Geneva, Bruges and Bristol. These celebrations, and several others, occupy a special place in our hearts. Be sure you check out the holiday schedule when you travel. It can mean frustrations with important landmarks being closed when you are there. It can also be the most meaningful part of your trip!
Are you planning a trip somewhere in Europe? We can help with that! Remember that we are always available to you and your friends and family for custom trip planning to Italy, France, Ireland, England and all of Europe. Feel free to reach out via email — We’re always available to talk about travel!!
Betsy Ball – Betsy is co-founder and partner of Euro Travel Coach (ETC), which crafts custom European vacations for independent travelers and leads small group trips to Europe. She is a passionate and culturally curious traveler who thoroughly enjoys sharing her love for exploring Europe with ETC clients. Prior to founding ETC, Betsy taught International Business at Tarleton State University in Texas (part of the A & M System) where she led study abroad trips to multiple European countries and other worldwide destinations. She retired from teaching in 2017 and since then, she and her husband, Co-founder and Partner, Greg, have been traveling through Europe multiple times per year for as many as 9 months at a time. She has a degree in hotel, restaurant management from Michigan State University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She also holds a Level 3 certification from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust.