Selamat Hari Raya Galungan (Happy Galungan)

Our street decorated with penjors for Galungan

Today was the last school day before our 6 day Galungan break.  We leave in the morning for Gili Air for 4 days of snorkeling, beach, turtles, and fun.  The trip I have organized has grown to 67 people from the Green School.  The island is very small and has no cars.  Heaven! 

Galungan is a major religious time filled with much ceremony.  During the Galungan period the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed, and prayers and offerings must be made for them.

Although Galungan falls on a Wednesday, most Balinese will begin their Galungan 'holiday' the day before, where the family is seen to be busily preparing offerings and cooking for the next day. While the women of the household have been busy for days before creating beautifully woven 'banten' (offerings made from young coconut fronds), the men of the village usually wake up well before dawn to join with their neighbors to slaughter a pig unlucky enough to be chosen to help celebrate this occasion.  We saw and heard evidence of this today.  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. 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 day before Galungan everyone also puts up their penjor, a long bamboo pole made to decorate the entrance to the family compound. The first day of Galungan people return to their village where offerings are made to God and to the family ancestors who have come back to rest at this time in their 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.

Owen helping Ketut make our penjor

The day after Galungan is a time for a holiday, visiting friends, maybe taking the opportunity to head for the mountains for a picnic. Everyone is still seen to be in their 'Sunday best' as they take to the streets to enjoy the festive spirit that Galungan brings to Bali.