Galungan & Kuningan Celebrations

This January, the Balinese will be celebrating one of the biggest religious holidays - Galungan and Kuningan.

Essentially a celebration of good over evil, Galungan and Kuningan are celebrated once every 210 days. Galungan marks the time when ancestral spirits descend from heaven to earth to “rest” in family temples. They leave 10 days later, on Kuningan, the last day of the celebrations.

Preparations for Galungan and Kuningan can take an entire week, with a series of ceremonies being carried out almost every day until the peak on January 4th. You’ll know that Galungan is near when you see rows and rows of Penjors lining the streets - tall bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end.

If you’re in Bali during this time, you’re in luck because you can witness the Balinese performing a myriad of offerings, prayers and cleansing rituals at home, in temples and on the beaches around the island.

On Galungan & Kuningan days, the Balinese will don traditional Balinese outfits and head to their family and village temples to pray. Afterwards, it’s time for good food and quality time with the family.