Galungan & Kuningan

Galungan is a Balinese holiday that occurs every 210 days and lasts for 10 days. Kuningan is the last day of the holiday. Galungan means "When the Dharma is winning." During this holiday the Balinese gods visit the Earth and leave on Kuningan.

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. Differ from other days when usually women do the cooking, for this Galungan celebration all the men in the family are the most busiest in doing the cooking. Started before dawn, together with their neighbours, they slaughter a pig and or chicken to make some food and combining various vegetables, herbs and spices to make a delicious “lawar” for celebrating the special day. 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. After that, all the men have to decorate their village with ‘penjor’ a long bamboo pole decorated with some corps to show their gratitude for the blessed day. The ‘penjor’ then put in the entrance of each house. For the women of the household have been busy for days before creating beautifully woven 'banten' (offerings made from young coconut fronds). By late Tuesday afternoon all over Bali the visitor can see these decorative poles creating a very festive atmosphere in the street.
On Galungan day, every Balinese will come back to their ancestral home to celebrate. They believed that their ancestors also celebrating this day in the family temple even though they already died long time ago. That is why, they’ll do the best to come and celebrate together in their ancestral home. As well as the 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.

The day after is holiday, visiting friends, or having 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.
The date for Galungan and other special Balinese days is shown on the Balinese Calendar.