SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

Not because of the lights or the noise that accompany the festive season, but because of the nativity scene that Maks Šeško has faithfully and with the same measure of joy set up year after year. His nativity scene is not just a Christmas setting, it is a place where people meet, pause and feel a sense of belonging.

The story of this began in his childhood, in a family where the nativity scene meant work, patience and the warmth of home. Simple materials such as earth, sticks and glue were used to create the first scenes, in which faith and interconnectedness were woven. These feelings have endured over the decades and have only grown over the years.

Today, the crib occupies more than ten square metres and has more than 300 figurines. But their real value is not in their size or in the number of details that make them up. Each year they are set up in a slightly different way, each time telling a new story - of people working, caring for each other, walking the paths, meeting by the water and living with each other. Just like in real life. 

This nativity scene is not just the scene of Jesus' birth. It is a complete, living world, interweaving biblical motifs and images from everyday life. Alongside the stable with Mary, Joseph and Jesus, there are castles, town houses, villages, fields, paths and a spring of water that actually flows. The figures represent people at work and their worries and daily tasks, and above it all is the sky with stars and thoughtful lighting.

»It's a lot of work, but it's not a burden for me,« says Maks, who works to preserve the values his parents passed on to him: faith, loyalty to tradition and openness to people. He sees the nativity scene as a reminder of the essence of Christmas - of birth, peace and closeness.

Over time, the crib has become something more - a meeting point for the community. Every year after Christmas, neighbours, friends, pensioners and acquaintances - even forty or fifty people at a time - gather at the Šešek's. They bring cakes, bake pastries, sing and talk among themselves. So they are together for a few hours without rushing and without roles. »We're very short of that today,« says Maks, »so I'm happy for every visitor; because they come and stay.« In December and January, many visitors came to see the nativity scene, finding moments of peace, relaxation and a sense of belonging in the illustration of this biblical story.

The crib is also closely linked to Maks' deeply personal story. For many years, his daughter helped him to set them up. After her untimely death, he now erects them himself, but with a different, quieter strength. In memory of her and with a joy that remains despite the pain.

The nativity scene in Visola can be seen every day until Candlemas, but in reality it is there for much longer - in the memories of the people who have encountered it, in the conversations that have been had along the way, and in the feeling that somewhere there is a place where everyone is welcome. There, Christmas does not pass away with the last day of the holiday, but lives on in the community.

Amadeja Mlakar, 10. 1. 2026