Learning about Galungan and Nyepi

 The Green School is excellent at offering parents opportunities to learn new things. Today, I learned about Galungan, a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma (similar to good over evil). It is also a time when ancestral spirits visit the Earth.  When one has their ancestors visit, tt is only polite to put out a welcome mat and offer them food.  To those ends, we made a traditional Penjor and four Banten Tegehs.  I think Galungan is similar to The Day of the Dead, except the ancestors stay for a week and leave after breakfast on Kuningan.

We also learned about Nyepi.  Nyepi Eve features parades with the giant Ogoh Ogoh I mentioned earlier.  Nyepi Day is the day of Silence. The entire island shuts down, even the airport and cellular services, and spiritual police make sure their Banjar is in compliance.  Balinese spend the day with their families and do not work, cook or even use electricity.  Some fast, and spend the day in actual silence and meditation.  It's kind of like Mardi Gras and Lent, if Lent was only 1 day.   We visitors must also stay inside our hotels or villas and keep smoke and noise to a minimum, so the island can purify itself for the New Year.  





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