Bali Holidays and traditional festivals
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BALI HOLIDAYS

Among various ethnic in Indonesia there are many cultures which still continue their tradition from immemorial time. They preserve their culture although there have been influences coming such as Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Moslem. The most important element of this traditional culture is the believe of ancestor's spirits which spread widely within the whole area of Indonesia. It seems that the concept of worshiping the ancestors spirits is due their love to the parents and the predecessors who initiated their presence and culture.
A strong believe on ancestor's spirit holy soul is still exists in more advanced parts of Indonesia such as Java and Bali, although other parts of Indonesia it is showing a strong practice based on this concept. In each areas coming from traditional and local beliefs there are many tribal feast which is in much or less different meaning, or their original meaning has been changed a little bit such as:

Among various ethnic in Indonesia there are many cultures which still continue their tradition from immemorial time. They preserve their culture although there have been influences coming such as Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Moslem. The most important element of this traditional culture is the believe of ancestor's spirits which spread widely within the whole area of Indonesia. It seems that the concept of worshiping the ancestors spirits is due their love to the parents and the predecessors who initiated their presence and culture.
A strong believe on ancestor's spirit holy soul is still exists in more advanced parts of Indonesia such as Java and Bali, although other parts of Indonesia it is showing a strong practice based on this concept. In each areas coming from traditional and local beliefs there are many tribal feast which is in much or less different meaning, or their original meaning has been changed a little bit such as:

BALI ART FESTIAVAL ( PKB )
Place : Art Centre Open Stage, Denpasar city Province : BALI Date : June/July every year Purpose : Traditional Arts' Preservation
Last for 1 month full program every night. Fixed dates can only be known 6 months ahead. An art festival participated by every kind of art in Bali with it's 8 traditional areas typical in dances and musics. During this festival at least 60 performances will be on stage. Recent development has been marked with the participation of other provinces in Indonesia such as West Papua, East Java, and West Java, and abroad such as Japan, Australia, and Korea. Also the participation of other arts such as wood carvings, paintings, batiks, jewelries, and other handicrafts. The place is an open stage in Balinese traditional architecture, located in the center of Denpasar city. Beside the open stage there are also some buildings and galleries available for temporary and permanent exhibitions.

GALUNGAN AND KUNINGAN RITUAL
Galungan and KuninganTake place on all over Bali Province, as the date is based on local calendar its comparable international date can not be fixed, can be known on October for the following year Purpose Hindu ritual
Galungan ceremony is one form of the respect of Balinese to their ancestors which is commemorated every 210 days. The concept of this ceremony is homage to the ancestors. For Balinese, we still maintain our spiritual relationship with our ancestors by organizing a ceremony to remember them in our life. During Galungan ceremony, we commemorate again as if they are still alive, that we welcome them by decorating our gates, houses, family temples, and put offerings on many places around our houses, temples, and certain places. In this occasion, among Balinese who has genealogical relation will put offering also at their family temple. By this way it is hope that the relationship can be maintained within their lineage. Kuningan is a kind of farewell day for our ancestors. After 10 days we invited them, and it is considered to reside again with their family, re-experiencing their ever leaving history, they leave the worldly family. During Kuningan ceremony, there is no activity of decorating the places, the decoration since 10 days is still used. The activity is also include arranging the offerings at the family temples, and places around the houses, but the situation is less festive than Galungan day. Bali Province All government office closed for 3 days Most of big companies also closed on 3 days Balitouring office will open for all the dates for the in-house guest service that is handled by our Operation Department.

SARASWATI BALI HINDU RITUAL
Take place on all over Bali Province, also unfixed with international dates. Take place every 210 days, fixed date can only be known in nearer to the event. The 210 days year of Bali was started to be in use since 1098 AD when the influence of Hindu-Java is believed to arrive Bali with the marriage of Balinese king with Javanese princess. It is supposed that since the influence of Hindu Java tradition, the royal family and king writer ( Mid-Java word “ purohita” ) and religious functionaries were the only people who were literate, and enjoy the education. Influenced also by Hindu tradition, that they might thanks to gods as they knew writing which was not for common people. To mark the blessing of gods they fixed a day to organize a ceremony and praying to the gods of their luckiness. Other thought that might had put the foundation of this ritual date is probably the influence of Tantrayana Buddhist teaching. Some of the teaching which have been written in lontar leaves are considered having magic power which can influence human body. Departing from this thought they arrange a special day to make a ceremony and implore of the well being and to be avoided by the evil spirits from this teaching. This is specially true because it is just recently most of the illiterate parents banned their children of reading writing material in Balinese characters nor tp place it below our body, or throw it away. Why this day is called Saraswati, considering this name is a mythic name of Brahma's uncompeted beautiful daughter. Some argued that everything related to the knowledge is as interesting as a beautiful woman. In the past it might that the thinkers had looked for a suitable symbol of this day, and had arrived at this choice. Almost like Galungan and Kuningan days the preponderant view in the villages are family temples with decorations, women with Balinese traditional dressing holding offering and walk on the village roads up to the remotest alleys and plantations. But the day is not as festive as Galungan and Kuningan. Currently Balinese consider that Saraswati day is a “Knowledge Day”

KITE FESTIVAL - BALI
Place: Denpasar Municipal and Badung Regency Province: BALI Date: July/August every year Purpose: Fun and Contest Fixed dates can only be known very close to the actual dates. In Bali we have 2 places of kite festival. One belong to Denpasar municipality which is organized on the beach of Sanur, and the other one belong to Kabupaten Badung Regency is organized in Nusa Dua. During the festival, although there is excitement everywhere, but it is often giving problem to the traffic, as most of the contestants transport big kites, some can reach the size of 3 sq. meters

MAKEPUNG RACE

Place Regency of Negara Province Bali Time Yearly Scheduled, Schedule is available on request Purpose Farmer Fun and Contest
Information: Negara Tourism Office 0365 41210 ex.224, Fax 0365 41010
Word “ Makepung” means “ compete for the fastest” a tradition born from the local farmers. Farmers of Bali always have cultivation tools which are specific Bali such as “ tengala “ a tool to put up-side down the surface of the land. It is dragged by 2 cows. A farmer in the rice field can finish around 1000 sq. meters land by using this plough. After all surface is up-side down than the surface is leveled with a tool called “ Lampit “ This tool is also dragged by 2 cows. After around one or 2 month left it is supposed that all natural wastes or the rests of grass, leaves and dust buried under the soil will dissolved, and those plantations which are not dissolved will be swept out by a tool called “ lampit “ so before planting the seeds the land become clean and soft. During the time of cultivating with lampit the farmer make fun by loading on the lampit himself and dragged by 2 cows. A tradition among the farmers, that they work in very close relation. They work together by finishing friend's land first than his, and then the other. So during working there are many farmers working together, and in this time they might a little bit encouraged to work faster and faster until the cows run. It was probably this is the beginning of this contest.Now the running contest on farming tools is organized in more premeditated way and have become fun for the whole society especially in Negara region.

NYEPI DAY AND RITUAL

Take place all over Bali Province, can be known when Bali calendar has been printed. Comes every 365 days based on Caka Year calendar which is the same as international calendar. “Nyepi” day in Brief “Nyepi” is Balinese common word derived from the root of “ sepi “ meaning quiet. To form intransitive verb it got nasal sound [ N ] referring to the situation of “ stay in quietness, so as if it is no sounds is heard outside. From the point of ritual this day is marked with the ceremony. The main concept of this day is the celebration of Caka New Year and the people in the past add this occasion with unique condition to give special experience. One day before Nyepi From around 18.00 Central Indonesia Time, it is conducted a ceremony called “ Ngerupuk “ at every village ( Balinese : Banjar ). Today the ceremony has been conducted in some what same procedure and with same ritualistic materials. This is followed with the deafening sounds of beaten can, bamboo, and other materials, fire parades, and the sounds of the “ lesung” produced by interwoven hits between a canoe and base ball stick like tools used to clean the rice. Later around the year of 1970s it was followed by a parades of “ ogoh-ogoh “, a monster made to look like any frightening faces. This monster will be held around the village or along the main road by many youths, or following the main roads, and often last until 22.00 mid-night. This activities nothing more then just to make the celebration of New Year be as festive as possible. During Nyepi day Every Hindu people will do the following: 1. No travel 2. No sound 3. No fire 4. No activity. This situation will continue until 06.00 on the next morning. During the day of Nyepi you could imagine the situation of 1. A world that is totally mute, 2. A business area or roads that are totally blank with people like deserted land, 3. On the night a world that is totally dark. Even for us, the Balinese, that we have experienced for years and do not part of those who practice the specific ritual, but sometimes are stunned with the situation when we could hear the sound of winds, and the sound of sea waves quiet far from the sea, and also the strange sounds of small animals or insects around us. The only places of really international important such as hotels, hospitals, and emergency aids that will open and doing the normal life. Nyepi Day is the only Balinese holiday that is incorporated into national public holidays. Dispensation for Entering and Exiting Airport Ngurah Rai, Bali Dispensation for entering and exiting of Bali International airport has been declared closed since the past two years. In the past a dispensation for the companies that serving the guests who need transfer from hotel to airport and from airport to hotels in Bali was permitted. But since two years this dispensation is no more available. So, please make sure that you will not have booking

Bali Age People and Villages
Bali Artists and Works
Bali Black Magic Trace
Bali Coffee
Bali Cuisines
Bali Double Ikat Clothing
Bali Fruit Salak
Bali Museum
Balinese, the people of Bali
Bali Painting Art
Bali Rose Flower
Bali Holidays
Bali Symbols the Pratima
Bali Temples Others
Bali War Dance
Bali Writing Craft
Balinese House
Balinese Kinship
Balinese Language
Balinese Naming Tradition
Banjar, the smallest Settlement Unit of Bali
Banten, the offering of Bali
Batukaru Temple
Beaches of Bali
Besakih Temple
Bureucracy of Traditional Bali
Castes, the Social Layer of Bali
Dialect of Bali Language
Erau Festival Kalimantan
Chinese Early Trace
Gua Gajah Temple
Gua Lawah Temple
Healing, the traditional medicament of Bali
History of Bali island
Java Traditional Events
Kamasan Painting Style
Keris a long dagger of magic weapon
Kulkul Bali traditional bell
Leak witch craft known in Bali
Mariage of Bali a long process of ritual
Myth or Fact Rajapurana
Ngaben and Cremation ceremony of Bali
Pasola and Reba Feasts
Sacred dance of Bali
Subak the organization of rice irrigation
Tajen Balinese Tranditional Gambling
Taman Ayun Temple
Tanah Lot Temple
Tirta Empul Temple
Ubud Painting and carving Art
Ulun Danu Temple
Uluwatu Temple
Yeh Pulu Temple

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