BALINESE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

BALINESE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

There are two traditional calendars in Bali in addition to the Western or Gregorian calendar. The Hindu saka calendar operates on years from 354 - 356 days, is divided into twelve months and is eighty years behind the Gregorian year, so 2011 is 1932 in the saka calendar.

Also in use is Wuku, pawukon or uku calendar based on a 210 day lunar cycle ; these cycles are unnumbered. The wuku calendar is magnificently complex, as the 210 days are divided into weeks that are ten days long, nine days long, eight days long and so on down to weeks that are one day long. All of these weeks run concurrently and have specific names: for example the four-day week is called catur Wara, the five-day week Panca Wara and each day of each week has a specific name. This means that every day has a name from each of the weeks, giving ten names. To ad to the complexity, each of the thirty seven day weeks has its own name. You may come across the names of the days of the three-day week, pasah, beteng and kajen. They are often used for traditional markets which operate on a three day cycle. You can buy tika calendars to keep track of all of this, but the different systems won't affect most visitors - they are used chiefly to determine festival dates and other auspicious days.

The wuku Calender determines some Balinese Holidays such as Galungan Day. Galungan is an annual event in the wuku calender which means it takes place every 210 days. This year we celebrate on 15 July 2015. This ten -day festival celebrates the victory of good over evil and all the ancestral gods are thought to come down to earth to take part. Elaborate preparations take place: penjor - bamboo poles hung with offerings -arch over the road, offerings are prepared and animals slaughtered for the offerings. Galungan day itself is spent with family, praying and making offerings. The following day, Manis Galungan is the day for visiting friends. The final and the most important day is Kuningan, when families once again get together, pray and make offerings as the souls of the ancestors return to heaven. "Happy Galungan Day": Hope we are more peace (peace at our heart, body, and earth) Om santih, santih, santih, Om