Ceremonies in Bali are an almost-everyday occurrence, as the people celebrate important events such as natural phenomena like the full moon, or important milestones like puberty, marriage and death. You may find hundreds and even thousands at some of these ceremonies and festivals, but here are some of the important ones:
Nyepi: the Balinese New Year which takes place in March or April according to the Balinese calendar. This day is special as it is also known as the Day of Silence, and the entire island observes complete silence for the whole day. The idea of Nyepi is to encourage purification and meditation by refocusing the minds and to rid the island of demons by tricking them into thinking that the island is deserted.
More than just a festival, Nyepi is taken very seriously and even flights in and out of the airport are halted. Hotels are also asked to cover their windows and all shops will be closed that day. There will be no vehicles on the road and no lights or candles will be lit as well.
It is quite special to experience Nyepi in Bali, so if you happen to be there do take part in observing this silence and make sure you empty your plans for the day!
Ogoh-Ogoh: This is the day before Nyepi, which is also like the Balinese New Year’s Eve. It’s a massive celebration that takes place throughout the entire island with a lot of dance, drums, music and parades. Giant structures of demons, called Ogoh-Ogoh, that are made of bamboo and paper are paraded before being burned at the end of the night. This signifies the chasing away of demons so that the year starts afresh the next day!
Galungan: This is another very important festival in Bali to celebrate the creation of the universe and the victory of good over evil. The Balinese Hindus believe that on this 10-day period, the spirits of their ancestors will visit them and hence they will be welcoming these spirits with prayers and offerings.
Galungan is celebrated over three days, in which women will decorate and clean temples while men make penjors (decorative bamboo poles with offerings) which will adorn the streets of Bali. The next day, Balinese will head to the temples for prayers and on the final day, there will be no work as people will be visiting their friends and relatives.
Odalan: This celebration takes place in all the temples in Bali and celebrates the arrival of the gods on the anniversary of the temple. It occurs every 210 days since the temple was established, which means every temple will have a different Odalan date. On this day, women bring offerings to the temple and decorate it with flowers. There will be prayers and blessed rice is distributed to all devotees who will then apply them to their forehead, temples and throat.
There are over 20,000 temples in Bali so if you do get a chance, try to catch this celebration to really get a glimpse of the richness of Balinese traditions!
