Ljubljana illuminated in festive lights

The theme of this year’s holiday decorations is »Joyful Universe of Life«. As explained by the concept’s creator, Urban Modic, life is infinitely beautiful and precious. For a living being, it is everything it has. With Ljubljana’s latest holiday decorations, we emphasise its meaning and value, celebrating diversity and dispersion.

We draw upon various theories about the origins and pathways of life: the theory of panspermia suggests that life may have arrived on Earth from another part of the universe on comets and asteroids. On the other hand, abiogenesis proposes that life developed here on Earth, entirely independently, from non-living matter through natural chemical processes.

With these ideas and this theme, we also express a hope that we—humans in particular—can learn to coexist peacefully. Without aggression or the desire for dominance; respecting other living beings, just as they respect us.

Alongside scientific imagery, there will also be elements of spiritual symbolism, addressing theories of specific creators. Other features will complete and visually enrich the story with a cohesive design.

Many of the sculptures and features have been newly designed, while some of the most representative and well-established pieces will be restored originals by Zmago Modic. This installation marks the 25th anniversary of his first Universe of Ljubljana creation.

The new sculptures are largely made from recycled elements of past installations, repurposed public light fixtures, and other technical equipment.

Ljubljana will also be adorned with nine Christmas trees and 89 green trees along Wolfova, Čopova, Stritarjeva, and Trubarjeva Streets, as well as Breg, Gallus Embankment, and Novi trg. These are Christmas trees that will be returned to nature after the holidays. The small grove of green trees on Wolfova Street will be decorated with help from primary school students from Ljubljana, while at Ljubljana Tourism we invite residents to decorate the green groves on Stritarjeva and Čopova Streets, becoming part of the festive story of Ljubljana. Additionally, they encourage residents not to buy new ornaments but to bring ones they already have at home.

Mass events for the lighting ceremony, along with a vibrant array of activities, will be in full swing once again, and we’re ready to celebrate together with you!

For the twelfth consecutive year, the beautifully illuminated and decorated Ljubljana is graced by a stunning straw nativity scene crafted with precision and care by Anton Kravanja. The life-sized figures are created by bundling straw with thread, then securing it onto wooden frames.

The nativity scene traditionally depicts the story of Jesus’s birth at Christmas. In Slovenia, the first nativity scene was set up in 1644 by Jesuits in St. James’s Church in Ljubljana, following the example of St. Francis of Assisi. The Jesuits introduced nativity figures because they believed this visual representation helped people to better understand and remember the sacred events, making the story of Jesus’s birth more memorable.

Initially, nativity scenes were placed only in churches, but eventually, this custom found its way into people's homes. Each year at Christmas—a time of peace—Christians reflect on and remember the birth of Jesus.