Representatives of different religions and cultural views have coexisted peacefully in Indonesia for centuries. This is reflected in the holidays in Bali, celebrated in accordance with the complex calendar structure of the local passage of time.
Let's take a look at the calendar
The Balinese people have two ways of reckoning, and each of them has its own holidays and important dates. The Javanese-Balinese calendar believes that there are 210 days in a year, and the Indo-Balinese calendar includes 12 lunar months, and therefore Galungan and Nyepi are considered the main holidays in Bali, respectively.
It is customary to celebrate important days for representatives of other confessions on the island:
- Christmas and Easter are traditional significant dates for Christians living on the island.
- The day of the Prophet Muhammad and the month of Ramadan are sacredly observed by the Muslim community.
Day of Silence
One of the most spectacular festivals on the island is called Nyepi. March Day of Silence is a kind of Balinese New Year. The Ogo-Ogo parade, preceding Nyepi, is an enchanting spectacle, for which hundreds of huge figures are made of papier-mâché, painted and painted in accordance with folk legends and beliefs. Everyone, young and old, takes part in the carnival procession. Puppets on bamboo platforms are carried along the city streets by young men in national costumes, and the procession is accompanied by explosions of firecrackers, chants, fireworks and performances of fire tamers.
The essence of the procession is an attempt to drive out evil spirits from the island, especially since at the end of the demonstration, the figures are burned, thereby symbolizing the purification and the onset of a new period in life.
In the morning comes that very Day of Silence, when the Balinese do not leave their homes, do not turn on the lights, do not talk, in a word, they do everything so that the spirits do not even know about their existence and leave the island. The traditions of Nyepi are so strong that not only shops, but also the international airport are closed on this day. It only accepts transit flights. Only emergency vehicles are allowed to move along the city streets.
In honor of the creator of the universe
This is how the full name of the Bali holiday is translated, which occurs every 210 days. Galungan is a time when for 10 days on the island they celebrate the victory of good over evil, arrange colorful processions and parades, meet the family at laid tables and gladly receive guests.
At the gates of each house there are penjors - giant bamboo poles, decorated in the most intricate way. These structures symbolize the sacred Mount Agung, where the creator of the Universe and other deities live. The family altar that exists in every home is cleaned with gold cloth and flowers, and the houses themselves are cleaned and washed especially carefully to leave all troubles in the past.
The first day of the holiday begins with a trip to the temple, where each family brings baskets with offerings to the gods. Then comes the time of entertainment, picnics, communication with relatives and friends and receiving guests.
