Today in Bali is the ceremony of Galungan. This occurs once in every 210 days in the Balinese cycle of days. Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremony that is celebrated by all Balinese at the same time.
During the Galungan period the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed. So, prayers and offerings must be made for them. Also, those families who have ancestors that have not yet been cremated [but are still buried in the village cemetery] must make offerings at the graves.
Although Galungan falls on a Wednesday, most Balinese will begin their Galungan holiday the day before. This is the time where families are busy preparing offerings and cooking for the next day. Days before, women create beautifully woven ‘banten‘ – offerings made from young coconut fronds.
The men of our village are usually engaged in the slaughter of a pig together with their neighbours. Once done, the meat is prepared and then the finely diced pork is mashed to a pulp with a grinding stone, and moulded onto sate sticks that have been already prepared by whittling small sticks of bamboo. Chickens may also be chosen. Delicate combinations of various vegetables, herbs and spices are also prepared by the men to make up a selection of ‘lawar‘ dishes.
While much of this cooking is for use in the offerings to be made at the family temple, by mid-morning, once all the cooking is done, it is time for the first of a series of satisfying feasts from what has been prepared. While the women continue to be kept busy with the preparations of the many offerings to be made at the family temple on the day of Galungan, the men also have another job to do this day, once the cooking is finished. A long bamboo pole, or ‘penjor‘, is made to decorate the entrance to the family compound. By late Tuesday afternoon all over Bali travellers and tourists alike can see these decorative poles creating a very festive atmosphere in the street.
On Wednesday, the day of Galungan, one will find that most Balinese will try to return to their own ancestral home at some stage during the day, even if they work in another part of the island. This is a very special day for families, where offerings are made to God and to the family ancestors who have come back to rest at this time in their family temple. As well as the family temple, visits are made to the village temple with offerings as well, and to the homes of other families who may have helped the family in some way over the past six months.
The day after Galungan is a time for a holiday and visiting friends. Everyone is still seen to be in their traditional dress as they take to the streets to enjoy the festive spirit that Galungan brings to Bali.
