It’s been a busy couple of weeks around these parts lately. We recently had the ngambe  ceremony for the new kitchen and office; Kiran’s first Otonan; My 32nd birthday and Made’s the day after;  Mama and both kids came down with fever and sickness virus one after the other (papa has escaped so far); and a lot of freelance work for me. I have a few posts to catch up on but for now I’m just popping in to say Happy Galungan!

Galungan is often described as Balinese Christmas and, while it doesn’t resemble any kind of western Christmas, I guess the basics are the same – families get together, there is lots of cooking, lots of eating and celebration. Every home displays a tall bamboo penjor outside the entrance which I guess could be considered the Balinese version of a Christmas tree.

The Galungan period lasts for 10 days, during which time the spirits of the family ancestors return to the family temple to visit. The last day is Kuningan, on which they return. It also symbolises the victory of good (dharma) over evil.