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Balinese Religion
The Balinese Calendar
(completly on Asia
Pasific Cultural Events)
If you are heading
to Bali in search of a land of relaxation where watches,
calendars and appointment books are unheard of, you’ll be
in for a surprise. While the Balinese are indeed faithful
followers of the relaxed island tempo known as “jam karet”
or “rubber time,” they are also among the most time conscious
people in the world. And no, we don’t mean just the scores
of sellers of fake Rolex and Cartier watches who swarm the
streets of Kuta. We mean the many Balinese who organize
their lives around the traditional Balinese calendar. In
Bali, the calendar determines good days and bad days for
virtually every human activity, and many actions are only
undertaken after consultation with a ritual calendar specialist
or taking a glance at the comprehensive traditional calendar
virtually every Balinese family has hanging on their wall.
There are auspicious days for planting rice, for holding
ceremonies, and for cutting down trees. There are favorable
days for digging wells, building fish ponds or house foundations
or learning to dance. There are times that are opportune
for teaching your buffalo to plow, weaving a fishing net,
or getting married. And in traditional Balinese belief,
there is a direct relationship between the day of one’s
birth and one’s character and potential. A complex traditional
horoscope system can tell you if your child is likely to
be lazy or hard working, outgoing or shy, short tempered
or patient, and who would be a suitable marriage partner
for them. For children born on problematic days, special
ritual offerings and ceremonies are prescribed to “kill”
the influence of the day.
But following the Balinese calendar is not so easy. For
Westerners used to marking the passage of days, weeks,
months and years, the Balinese calendar and the traditional
way of counting time it represents may come as something of
a shock. The Balinese calendar has years, but there are
three of them running concurrently: the Pawukon year of 210
years, the Saka year of 355 days, and the Gregorian or
Western year of 365 days. Only the last two are numbered,
and they are numbered differently: the Gregorian year 2000
is the Saka year 1922. It might sound confusing, but many
Balinese deal with it by ignoring it. Most older Balinese
and many younger ones in rural villages have only an
approximate idea of what year they were born in, instead
dating their birth by memorable events of the past: the
Japanese occupation of Bali in the 1940s, the explosion of
Mount Agung in 1963, or the beginnings of mass tourism in
the 1970s and 80s.
Months and weeks as well are counted differently and,
again, there are a number of cycles running concurrently.
The Pawukon year has no months, just weeks - although there
are ten different systems. There is a one day week, a two
day week, a three day week, all the way up to a ten day
week. Each day of each week has its own name, for a total of
55 day names. What’s more, each of the thirty seven-day
weeks has its own name. Is your head spinning yet? There’s
more. The Saka calendar is also divided into twelve lunar
months, each with its own name. And, of course, in modern
Bali one must also pay attention to the Western calendar as
well. But don’t worry if you can’t get it all straight.
Our Bali calendar for the year 2000 gives you all the
information you need about important days of the Balinese
calendar, and when you will be most likely to have the
chance to witness the spectacular power and magic of a
traditional religious ceremony.
Balinese Calendar for The
Year 2000
January 5
Galungan is the most important holiday in
the Balinese calendar. Symbolizing the triumph of order (dharma)
over disorder (adharma), this twice-yearly festival
sees Balinese from all over the island returning to their
temples of origin to pray, to make offerings to the gods,
and to gather with family. The divine ancestors come down to
earth to visit their descendants, and offerings are made to
welcome them home. All work stops on the island as rituals
are held and families join together to enjoy the traditional
Galungan feast of lawar - roast shredded pork mixed
with jackfruit, coconut and a complex blend of dozens of
spices. This festive atmosphere lasts for ten days, until
Kuningan.
January 6
Tilem Kenam - new moon
January 15
Kuningan marks the end of the Galungan
holiday period. Families pray in their temples and make
special offerings of yellow dyed rice to present to the
ancestors as a farewell gift before they return to their
otherwordly abode.
January 20
Purnama Kepitu - full moon
February 3
Siwa Ratri - is the night before the new
moon of Siwa, the destroyer of life. On this night, one is
supposed to stay up all night and meditate to overcome one’s
fear of darkness and death.
February 4
Tilem Kepitu - new moon
February 19
Purnama Kewulu - full moon
March 5
Tilem Kewulu - new moon
March 20
Purnama Kesanga - full moon
March 25
Tumpek Kandang is the day to honor the
important place of animals in Balinese life. Take a stroll
down any rural road and you will see dozens of docile brown
cows dressed up in gaily colored sarongs with cut and woven
palm leaves decorating their horns, being fed special food
to thank them for the work they do for humans. Pigs as well
are draped with white cloths and offered their favorite
treats. Even the chickens and geese who wander around the
yards of Balinese homes are honored with special food and
offerings as a sign of human appreciation for the natural
bounty of the Balinese environment.
April 3
Tilem Kesanga - new moon
April 4
Nyepi is the start of the Balinese New Year
and the Day of Silence. The day before the holiday, the
small seats that are used in Balinese temples as resting
places for the gods and ancestors when they descend to the
earth are taken to the sea or to a nearby sacred spring to
be cleansed. Offerings are made to the evil spirits of the
unseen world and huge crowds of people roam through the
villages making as much noise as possible to scare away the
spirits in preparation for the sacred day to follow. On
Nyepi itself, the whole island comes to a standstill. No one
is allowed to eat, drink, smoke, cook food, drive, light
lamps or go outside. Guards are posted on the streets to
make sure these prohibitions are observed. All shops,
restaurants and public facilities are closed, and visitors
are advised to do as the Balinese do: spend the day enjoying
the quiet, contemplating the peace of the world free of
sound and activity. With the silence observed, it is
believed the evil spirits will be fooled into thinking the
island is deserted and go elsewhere.
April 18
Purnama Kedasa - full moon
April 21
Kartini Day is a nationwide holiday to
commemorate the birth of Kartini, a Javanese princess whose
celebrated letters to her Western friends about Indonesian
culture and the role of women in society earned her a place
as the country’s national heroine. On Kartini Day,
schoolchildren dress up in traditional costumes and parade
through the street, and hard working Balinese women take a
well deserved break from their daily responsibilities.
April 29
Tumpek Wayang is the day to honor the
puppets of the sacred wayang kulit shadow play and to
make offerings to the spirits who may inhabit them. Those
who own such puppets will set them up, as if for a
performance, and bless them in a special ritual.
May 3
Tilem Kedasa - new moon
May 18
Purnama Jiyestha - full moon
May 20
Saraswati Day is devoted to the worship of
Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. On this
day, no reading or writing is allowed, and offerings are
made to books to celebrate the goddess’s gift of learning
to the world. Students gather to pray to ask for success in
their studies.
May 24
Pagarwesi, meaning “iron fence,” is a
day to strengthen one’s fortification against evil.
Offerings are made to ask for spiritual power to cope with
hardship and misfortune, and offerings are made for the
uncremated dead at the cemeteries.
June 1
Tilem Jiyestha - new moon
June 3
Tumpek Landep is a day to honor weapons and
other implements made of iron. Ceremonial keris
daggers, which are believed to possess magical powers, are
unsheathed and blessed with offerings, incense and holy
water. Cars and motorbikes are also honored on this day, for
of course they can become lethal weapons if their safety is
not ritually assured. On this day, one sees elaborate palm
leaf offerings affixed to the bumpers of cars and placed on
their dashboards, and offerings dangling from the handle
bars of bikes and motorcycles.
June 16
Purnama Sadha - full moon
July 1
Tilem Sadha - new moon
July 8
Tumpek Uduh is the Balinese day to honor
trees, especially the coconut tree, from which so many
useful products come. On this day, trees will be dressed
just like people, in brightly colored sarongs and sashes,
offerings hung from their branches, and fragrant incense lit
below them. The trees are hit with a hammer to let them know
there is spiritual food for them, and prayers are offered,
asking for the trees to grow and bear fruit.
July 16
Purnama Kasa - full moon
July 30
Tilem Kasa - new moon
August 2
Galungan is the most important
holiday in the Balinese ritual calendar. Symbolizing the
triumph of good (dharma) over evil (adharma),
this twice-yearly festival sees Balinese from all over the
island returning to their temples of origin to pray, make
offerings to the gods, and gather with family. The divine
ancestors come down to earth to visit their descendants, and
offerings are made to welcome them home. All work stops on
the island as rituals are held and families join together to
enjoy the traditional Galungan feast of lawar - roast
shredded pork mixed with jackfruit, coconut and a complex
blend of dozens of spices. This festive atmosphere lasts for
ten days, until Kuningan.
August 12
Kuningan marks the end of the Galungan
holiday period. Families pray in their temples and make
special offerings of yellow dyed rice to present to the
ancestors as a farewell gift before they return to their
otherwordly abode.
August 14
Purnama Karo - full moon
August 17
Indonesian Independence Day.
Celebrating the proclamation of Indonesia’s independence
from Dutch colonial rule in 1949, this is a public holiday
when businesses and homes across the island are draped in
the red and white colors of the nation’s flag and groups
of schoolchildren parade through the streets.
August 29
Tilem Karo - new moon
September 13
Purnama Ketiga - full moon
September 16
Tumpek Krulut is the day to celebrate
the traditional performing arts that bring beauty and
passion to the Balinese world. On this day, musical
instruments and the masks and costumes used in sacred dances
are sprinkled with holy water and offerings made to them.
September 20
Badung Puputan Day is a day of
commemoration of the tragic puputan massacre in 1904,
when the entire household of the King of Denpasar marched
into the fire of an oncoming Dutch army rather than submit
to colonial control.
September 27
Tilem Ketiga - new moon
October 12
Purnama Kapat - full moon
October 21
Tumpek Kandang is the day to honor the
important place of animals in Balinese life. Take a stroll
down any rural road and you will see dozens of docile brown
cows dressed up in gaily colored sarongs with cut and woven
palm leaves decorating their horns, being fed special food
to thank them for the work they do for humans. Pigs as well
are draped with white cloths and offered their favorite
treats. Even the chickens and geese who wander around the
yards of Balinese homes are honored with special food and
offerings as a sign of human appreciation for the natural
bounty of the Balinese environment.
October 27
Tilem Kapat - new moon
November 11
Purnama Kelima - full moon
November 25
Tumpek Wayang is the day to honor the
puppets of the sacred wayang kulit shadow play and to
make offerings to the spirits who may inhabit them. Those
who own such puppets will set them up, as if for a
performance, and bless them in a special ritual.
November 26
Tilem Kelima - new moon
December 10
Purnama Kenam - full moon
December 16
Saraswati Day is devoted to the worship
of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. On this
day, no reading or writing is allowed, and offerings are
made to books to celebrate the goddess’s gift of learning
to the world. Students gather to pray to ask for success in
their studies.
December 20
Pagarwesi meaning “iron fence,” is
a day to strengthen one’s fortification against evil.
Offerings are made to ask for spiritual power to cope with
hardship and misfortune, and offerings are made for the
uncremated dead at the cemeteries.
December 25
Tilem Kenam - new moon
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