Bali’s Day of Silence and Hindu New Year

The holiday Nyepi is upon us. Celebrations have begun in the form of a parade to the beach, and then on Saturday the entire island of Bali essentially shuts down as it becomes a "silent day”.

It is a Hindu celebration mainly celebrated in Bali, Indonesia. Nyepi, a public holiday in Indonesia, is a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New Year’s Day. On this day, the youth of Bali practice the ceremony of Omed-omedan or 'The Kissing Ritual' to celebrate the new year. The same day celebrated in India as ugadi.

Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection, and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and, for some, no talking or eating at all.

Photos from the parade at Pererenan beach:

It is always impressive to see the Balinese express themselves through ceremony. Most Balinese are wired into the modern world through their phones, yet a timelessness exists through their ceremonies. They both move forward into the future and keep one foot firmly planted in their ancient roots.