Attending a cremation ceremony for Balinese is not just a matter showing taking a part in the cremation but also cleansing the mind and body soon after attending the cremation ceremony. When Balinese arrive at home after attending a cremation, they will go right to the kitchen and take a ladle of water then throw it upward so that the water gets on the kitchen roof while Balinese stand under the roof waiting the water to fall down. A second later that water falls out wetting their heads and faces. Sometimes, after that they also should enter the kitchen again; after this ritual they are allowed to enter other structures in the house compound.

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Omen for Balinese is an important thing and it can be a serious problem if it occurs inside a house compound. For Balinese an ill omen if it occurs inside a house compound, it signifies that the house compound is “hot”. A “hot” house compound in Balinese point of view is not fit for living since it will bring misfortune for its inhabitants, make them ill, confuse, short tempered, quarrel with no apparent reason, and have short life span.

Omen that occurs in a house compound that signifies the “hot” condition of the house compound is usually in the form of the birth of strange animal for example a cat with three eyes, a dog with two tails, etc; the appearance of strange plant such as coconut with two or three branches; bees or wasps make a nest inside the house; snakes come out of nowhere inside the house compound; blood come out of nowhere, thousands of worms come out of nowhere in the house compound or big fungus growth on the wall of the house.

Accident, death, or fight that cause blood to be shed on the ground is considered an ill omen that signifies a “hot” house compound. Accidents that can be classified as an ill omen are as follow: a tree falls down on the house or family temple with no apparent reason; a house, a kitchen or family temple falls down; someone runs amuck into the house compound or some injured himself badly until blood shed to the ground.

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The penjor is a tall bamboo pole (7 meters high) whose drooping top is symbolic of the holy mountain (Mt. Agung) and all the wonderful daily things the mountain supplies to the Balinese people. This symbol has been around for a thousand years, in various forms. Each family erects this symbol in front of their house.

We lived in a village this last Galungan, with a Balinese family, and experienced the day to day activities of constructing the penjor. This is a chore for the male members of the family ( our Balinese family had 6 males ) and took place over three days preceeding Galungan. Galungan is a kind of all Saints day, when gifts were given freely ( new clothes for the children, etc.). It also starts the new year ( Balinese calendar of 210 days in each year ). Last time I was here Galungan was in Sept, but this year it was in July.

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On 9^th December 200 Balinese will celebrate Kuningan day. Kuningan takes its name from the fact that a special offering that is presented in this holyday is yellow rice (nasi kuning) is made by colouring ordinary white rice with tumeric (kunyit). Kuningan occurs once in every 210 days in the Balinese Pawukon cycle (traditional Balinese calendar). The Kuningan Day is the time for commemoration as the ancestors return to the heaven after ten days dwelling on earth and the Balinese express their gratitude to gods for His mercy to the human races.

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