Friendly Planet Travelers Find Religion at the Oberammergau Passion Play

 Millions seek tickets, but three of Friendly Planet Travel's tours guarantee entry to the play, which takes place only once every 10 years

Jenkintown, Pa.-September 16, 2009-As the villagers of Oberammergau in Bavaria, Germany will tell you, once you make a promise to God, you don't go back on your word; not even 376 years later. That's why once every 10 years, the Oberammergau Passion Play, which re-enacts the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is performed by the life-long residents of the idyllic German village. Hundreds of thousands of tickets are sold, and twice as many visitors are turned away. But this year, Friendly Planet Travel, one of the Internet's leading group travel providers, has your ticket to the play. Three of the company's Central European tours-Austrian Adventure for $3,299; Imperial Cities of Central Europe for $4,199; and Enchanting Germany for $3,599-give travelers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the Passion Play.

            The Oberammergau Passion Play dates back to 1633, when Central Europe was squeezed in the grip of the Bubonic Plague, and villagers of Oberammergau vowed that if God spared their village from death, they would perform a theatrical worship of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection every 10 years. Not a single villager died from the plague that year, and residents of Oberammergau have performed the play as they promised, four days a week between mid-May and October every 10 years, since 1634.

            "When we first designed tours to include the much-sought-after Oberammergau Passion Play in 2000, we were delighted to watch every date sell out as quickly as we could post them," says Peggy Goldman, President of Friendly Planet Travel. "Many people consider a trip to see the Passion Play to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Due to the relatively small size of the theatre, plus the fact that the play occurs for only one season every 10 years, there are limited chances for people to experience these plays, and we are thrilled that we can give travelers that rare and significant opportunity."