Culture & FestivalsFascinating Bali
Unlike any other island in largely Muslim Indonesia, Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture. Every aspect of Balinese life is infused with religion.
The most visible signs are the tiny offerings (sesajen) of flowers, glutinous rice and salt in little bamboo leaf trays, found in every Balinese house, restaurant, souvenir stall and airport check-in desk.
They are set out and sprinkled with holy water no less then three times a day, before every meal.
BARONG or "lion dance" - a ritual dance depicting the fight between good and evil, with performers wearing fearsome lion-like masks.
KECAK or "monkey dance" - Actually invented in the 1930s by early German resident Walter Spies for a movie but a spectacle nonetheless, with up to 250 dancers in concentric circles chanting "kecak kecak", while a performer in the center acts out a spiritual dance.
Festivals
There are an estimated 20,000 temples (pura) on the island, each of which holds festivals (odalan) at least twice a year and there are many other auspicious days throughout the year, meaning that there are always festivities going on.
There are some large festivals celebrated island-wide, but their dates are determined by two local calendars. The 210-day wuku or Pawukon calendar is completely out of sync with the Western calendar, meaning that it rotates wildly throughout the year. The lunar saka (caka) calendar roughly follows the Western year.
FUNERALS, called pitra yadnya, are another occasion of pomp and ceremony, when the deceased (often several at a time) are ritually cremated in extravagantly colorful rituals.
GALUNGAN, every 210 days. A 10-day festival celebrating the death of the tyrant Mayadenawa. Gods and ancestors visit earth and are greeted with gift-laden bamboo poles called penjor lining the streets. The last day of the festival is known as Kuningan.
NYEPI, or Hindu New Year, usually March/April. This is the one festival worth avoiding: on Nyepi, also known as the Day of Absolute Silence, absolutely everything on the island is shut down and tourists are confined to their hotels. However, if you are in Bali in the weeks preceding Nyepi, you will see amazing colorful giants (Ogoh Ogoh) being created by every banjar throughout the island. On Nyepi Eve, the Ogoh Ogoh are paraded through the streets, an amazing sight, not to be missed especially in Denpasar.
All national public holidays covered in Indonesia also apply, although Ramadan is naturally a much smaller event here than in the country's Muslim regions.
Language
Balinese is linguistically distinct from Bahasa Indonesia, although the Indonesian lingua franca is spoken by practically everybody. In touristy regions, English and some other foreign languages are widely spoken.
Source : Indonesian ministry of tourism
