Oberammergau Passion Play

The play is a 5 hour production, and uses the talents of over 2,000 villagers, including children.  But don’t think you can just move here and get a role in the play.  Oh no, you must have been born in the village or have been living there for at least 20 years.  The residents of the village made the vow, and to this day, it’s the residents of the village that put on the play.

With a hat tip to reality, there is no make up, fake beards, wigs, or any other fakery.  Men start growing out their hair and beards months (and sometimes years) prior to the play, and every attempt is made to reach historical authenticity.

Tickets for the 2010 Passion Play are now on sale, along with a variety of packages that include accommodations.  The play runs May 15th through October 3rd, 2010, with performances five times per week.

Although tickets sales are a bit slow this year, most likely due to the economy, this event attracts close to half a million visitors of various religious backgrounds.  For many this is a once in a lifetime experience, and if you’d like it to be one of yours, you can keep up on events with the Passion Play newsletter.

Photo credit: wikimedia

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2010 Oberammergau Passion Play Tickets on Sale

The show is a half hour long, and showcases experiences, destinations, products, and interviews, all combining faith and travel.

Examples of topics include:

• Serenity of river cruises
• European Christmas markets
• Christian holy land tours,
• Travel with renowned Christian musicians

Travel with Spirit is broadcast on the Inspiration Network’s i-Lifetv, Sky Angel’s Angel Two and NRB Network.  You can check the schedule and channel lineup to see if it’s available on your satellite or cable system.  Archived episodes can be found online.

Is this a travel niche that interests you?  Is faith an important criteria in planning your vacation?

Photo credit: SXC

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Faith Based Travel TV Show Launches

The Shroud is a linen cloth (measuring approximately 14  1/2 x 4 feet) that is believed to have been the burial cloth of Jesus.  Many Christians believe that the cloth has an image of a crucified man, with a beard and long hair, with arms folded across his chest.  The cloth appears to have blood, seemingly from wounds in the wrists, feet and side.

The Shroud in not without controversy, however, with many claiming that its provenance is a myth.  Carbon dating tests indicated the cloth dated to a time period completely inconsistent with the crucifixion theory.  Yet, scientists haven’t been able to explain the image on the cloth.  Thus the arguments begin, scientists claiming that the image could have been printed on the cloth and theologians arguing that the testing was faulty.  The religious controversy aside, this is still a historical artifact of note.

The Shroud will be on display at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, from April 4th – May 20th, and is expected to draw over two million visitors to the Piemonte region.  That’s a lot of people for this area, so accommodations are going to be at a premium.  Tour operators are creating packages to include a visit to the Shroud, so if you’d like to view this religious artifact, contact your Travel Agent for assistance or start doing your research online.  Book early, it will be next year before you know it.

NOTE:  The Catholic Church does not officially claim that the Shroud is the burial cloth of Jesus, nor that it is a belief of faith.  Its position is that the cloth should serve as a reminder to the faithful of Jesus’ passion.  Pope John Paul viewed the shroud in 1998, and called on science to find answers to the questions raised by the cloth.  The questions have gone unanswered, and controversy remains.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Post from: Blisstree

Shroud of Turin to Boost Religious Travel