The gods are on their way

On Wednesday the gods and the spirits of the ancestors will descend from the mountain and so begins the biggest celebration on the Balinese calendar. You know that Galungan is near when the beautifully decorated penjors appear outside every dwelling on the island. For weeks we have noticed small trucks carrying extremely long bamboo poles, which will become these penjors, and many tiny shops have sprung up along the road selling decorations.

Shops and some restaurants will soon close - some for just a couple of days, some for the full 10 days until Kuningan heralds the end of the festivities and the gods go back to the mountain. We leave on Saturday so will miss some of the fun. Bad planning on our part, but as our visas will expire, sadly we cannot stay longer.

Rather than paraphrase the many articles that explain the significance of Galungan and Kuningan, the links will give more detail, and this recent article from the Jakarta Times explains the importance of a celebration where cost is no object, even to the poorest families.

We are honoured to have been invited into a Balinese compound on Wednesday to join the family for the afternoon. Honour is combined with anxiety. What do you wear? Bring? This particular compound houses 27 people across five generations. We have the right garments: I will wear kamben, kebaya and sash while Eddie will add a jacket and saput to his kamben and on his head wear a udeng. Diagram here and Murni explains Balinese dress in more detail here. As for bringing, we are assured that nothing is required on the day (which feels odd) but a gift of fruit on Monday that can be used for offerings would be appreciated. It can't just be any fruit though, we need to look for beautiful apples and oranges and grapes would be a bonus. So that is tomorrow's task.

Those who have been granted the full holiday are heading back to their families to help with preparations, but even those who are working will try and return for even a short time on the day. An indication of the importance of the family temple is one young man we know who works in Ubud, but whose family is more than four hours away by motorbike on the west coast. On two consecutive days last week he finished work at around 5pm, rode the four hours home, spent an hour at the temple, then rode back to Ubud ready to work again. Something very important was happening that he could not miss so there is no doubt that he will be home for Galungan. This is also the holiday when workers can expect an extra half month's wages to help with the heavy costs of the celebrations.

Galungan and Kuningan was last celebrated in March, according to the 210-day calendar, so it will next occur in May 2014. We plan to be here for the full 10 days. It feels incomplete to be leaving this time before the gods have ascended the mountain again.

Selamat Hari Raya Galungan dan Kuningan.

Holidays

Three months ago there was no way I'd have been able to text in Bahasa Indonesia to try and set up a hair appointment, let alone understand the reply: Tutup ibu untuk idul fitri 1 minggu nanti hari selasa 13 agustus. I'd let the hair get out of control, just a little bit, but Nelly could surely fit me in?. Well, actually, no. And that's a no until next Tuesday because she has shut up shop for a week to mark the holiday of Idul Fitri, also called Lebaran. Ah well, my fault for not being more organised, and Tuesday it will have to be.

But the upside is that those language lessons are starting to pay off, and it does offer the perfect excuse to talk about holidays on the island.

The fact that Nelly is closed for a week probably indicates that she has gone to Java, like so many, to mark the end of Ramadhan. For the Hindu Balinese, today and tomorrow are holidays, as they are in the rest of the country, but business is probably pretty much as usual.

Bali operates on two calendar systems: for practical purposes, the Gregorian one that most of us use and the unique Balinese calendar. Just to complicate things even more, there's a lunar calendar thrown into the mix too.

One year in the Pakwukon system consists of 420 days, or two 'otons'. Each oton of 210 days has 30 weeks. You will soon realise that marking the passing of 210 days carries considerable significance. According to Ubud identity and matriach Murni, 210 days is the cycle of the rice plant from germination to flowering. Balinese people also celebrate two birthdays: the date they were born on the Western calendar and the day that marks the 210-day cycle. For the two days to coincide is rare and highly auspicious. And on the 210th day, a baby's feet are allowed to touch the ground for the first time.

But that's just the surface. Underneath is an incredibly complex system that would never be understood by outsiders without years of study. Temple ceremonies and holidays are calculated, dates are advised and people plan accordingly.

Probably the most important holidays on the island are Galungan and Kuningan, celebrated for 10 days, every 210 days. That's when you see the beautifully decorated penjors

outside every dwelling on the island. We will still be here for Galungan Day on October 24, but sadly will have left by the last day, Kuningan Day on November 4. Offices, shops and restaurants are often closed for a week during this period as there is so much temple business to attend to.

We have only been in Bali once during Nyepi, but it is our favourite Bali holiday. The Balinese New Year is a moveable feast, but will always occur during March or April. Weeks before the day you will see every village constructing huge ogoh-ogoh, or ferocious monsters.

Terrifying, ugly, very, very big and these days, sometimes with a contemporary twist. There's a Bob Marley one still at an intersection we pass frequently. In late afternoon on Nyepi Eve, these monsters are paraded to much merriment and a great deal of noise. Fireworks, explosives... anything goes, as long as they are noisy. They are scaring the evil gods away. But at 6am, all must be quiet. No one is allowed on the streets (except for emergencies) and the pecalang will shoo you back into your accommodation if you venture out. The airport is closed and there is not a sound, except the roosters and dogs, and even they seem quieter.

The idea is that those evil gods who were scared away last night might come back. They hover over Bali, look down and go, nah, nobody there so we'll leave them alone for another year. The Day of Silence concludes at 6am the next day and Bali resumes its normal, bustling activity. As you are not supposed to do anything but reflect on the year gone and the year ahead - not cook or use any electrical equipment - it also serves as a sort of Earth Day. One day in the year when there is no craziness. Seems like a good idea to me, and it's a wonderful time to be here and experience Balinese culture. YouTube has a selection of videos about Ogoh-ogoh here.

Of course there are many other holidays and reasons for temple ceremonies, but it would take forever to explain, even if I could.