Halloween in Bali

Do you know that Halloween is celebrated by the Balinese? Yes, it is not trivial, but Western influence has managed to make its way into Balinese culture to see the birth of the festive halloween. This can easily shock when you know the origins of Halloween that go back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Celtic Feast, which once animated the evenings over 2,000 years ago in the region now known as Ireland

For the Balinese, Halloween parties are like crazy parties in Bali the day before Nyepi. Nyepi, the Hindu New Year and the most important day of Hinduism. The night before Nyepi, the Balinese go crazy with “Oga Oga” (the scary floats) because they want to scare the evil spirits. The next day you must stay in the house and be very quiet; otherwise evil spirits will come back and possess you. You can compare these crazy and scary nights with Halloween nights.

However, Halloween is a typical Western tradition. For the Balinese, Halloween has nothing to do with their religion. Due to the growth of tourism and the great Western influence, Bali started to celebrate Halloween in one way or another. Restaurants and international hotels are passionate about Halloween and start disguised parties with great prices for the scariest Halloween costume. The most famous holidays always take place on the Saturday before Halloween.

If you’re looking for a scary costume for Halloween, go to a famous couturier. The couturiers of the common tourist cities know this western tradition. Just show them a picture of the costume you’d like to have (and maybe bring them the material if it’s something special) and they’ll personalize it for you.

If you want to burn a scary face in a pumpkin, you do not have to look for a normal pumpkin. Try to buy a “labu parang” – it’s an Indonesian pumpkin-shaped pumpkin known – although the color is a little different.

The great thing about Halloween in Bali is that if you find the right place to celebrate, it’s truly a great experience.