As Christmas morning mass ended, hundreds of Balinese Christians rushed to the nearby cemetery at Banjar Pegending in Dalung to pray and remember their loved ones. Christmas in Dalung village in Badung regency, one of Bali’s largest Protestant and Catholic enclaves, has always been the most treasured holiday for local residents, mostly the first Balinese families who converted to Christianity and their direct descents.
Bedecked in lavish traditional Balinese attire, the Santo Paulus Catholic Church congregation flocked to the spacious green graveyard, shaded by a tall Banyan tree, bringing with them sumptuous offerings decorated with colorful flowers for their deceased relatives. Despite their Protestant and Catholic faiths, they still strongly adhere to Balinese traditions. “We were born here in Bali and that is why we have to respect our centuries-old traditions and culture, especially with regard to respecting our ancestors,” said Ni Wayan Joni.
The women looked beautiful in intricate songket (a long cloth) teamed with embroidered kebaya (traditional blouse), while the men wore their best clothes and udeng headdress. “For us, Christmas will always be regarded as ‘Galungan Kristen’,” she said. Galungan and Kuningan are the most important religious holidays for Balinese Hindus. The ceremonies take place every six months in accordance with the Balinese calendar. Ni Wayan Joni also brought a glass of holy water she obtained from the Christmas mass at the church.
When arriving at her relatives’ graves, Joni sprinkled holy water over them. “The water was blessed at the church and the souls of our relatives must be cleansed using this holy water,” she explained. Joni said she followed the Balinese Hindu custom of purification of the body and soul by sprinkling holy water on the grave after praying at the temple. The middle-aged woman later placed the offering, containing fruit and flowers and lit with sweetly fragrant incense, for her relatives and cleaned up the area around the graves.
“It is our way to always remember and pay respect to our deceased relatives,” she said. Reaching noon, hundreds of other people also visited the cemetery, which turned it into a perfect venue for a family gathering on the happy and joyous occasion of Christmas Day. Christmas for Balinese Christians living in the Dalung area — Tibubebeng, Tuka and other neighboring Christian villages — means a time to share happiness with others. Ngurah Khrisna, another devout Catholic, said that Christmas holidays were celebrated for days.
“It is like megalung [celebrating Galungan holidays] for Balinese Hindus. All members of the community work together to decorate homes, villages and, most of all, the church, with penjor, long bamboo poles decorated with young coconut leaves, colorful paper and textiles and other artistic decorations.” A day prior to Christmas, male and female members of the villages start preparing big traditional Balinese meals such as lawar (a mixture of meat, grated coconut and hot spices), satay and other food for Christmas lunch and dinner.
During Umanis Natal, one day after Christmas, local residents visit their families and neighbors. They also share food and beverages with neighbors of different faiths as a symbol of the strong religious tolerance among interfaith residents in Bali. “Christmas must bring peace and happiness to all people,” said Khrisna.
source : bali daily
source : bali daily
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar