If you are in Bali for one celebration, this is the one you will see without going anywhere. Every family raises a penjor outside the house, and the whole island changes shape for a week.
Next dates
- 13 January 2027
- 11 August 2027
What it marks
Galungan celebrates the victory of dharma over adharma, order over disorder. It is also when ancestral spirits are believed to return to visit the family home, which is why so much of the preparation is domestic rather than public: the house is cleaned, the family shrine is dressed, and food is cooked for guests both living and not.
The penjor is the thing you will notice
A penjor is a tall bamboo pole, bent into a long arc, decorated with palm leaf, rice, fruit and flowers, and planted at the right-hand side of the entrance to each family compound. Its curve is usually explained as the shape of a mountain, and the offerings hanging from it as the produce of the land. A village street lined with them, all leaning the same way, is one of the most photographed sights in Bali, and it is put up by families rather than by anyone official.
How the days run
The days before Galungan have their own names and jobs, including the day for making cakes and the day for slaughtering the pig, and the mood is closer to Christmas Eve than to a solemn observance. On the day itself families dress in ceremonial white and gold and visit the family temple. Many businesses close or run short hours, and Balinese staff who live elsewhere travel home to their village.
What it means for a visitor
Roads are busier, some restaurants and shops close for a day or two, and the villages look extraordinary. Drive gently, expect processions to have right of way, and ask before photographing families at their shrines. It is a family occasion happening in public, which is a good frame for how to behave.
In and around Peliatan
Penjor go up along the lanes near the villa and through Peliatan and Ubud, so you do not need to travel to see it. Our host will tell you which temple near the villa is holding what, and whether it is appropriate to attend.
Time a stay around it.
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