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Life-cycle Ceremonies

The life of a Balinese person is measured in a series of Manusa Yadnya ( rituals ) which commence before the baby is born and follow in stages up until marriage. These are generally held in the privacy of the family compound, but those who wish to witness this integral part of the Balinese culture should ask their travel agent, or the local Badung Tourist Promotion Board. Most Balinese welcome the interest shown in their culture, and guests are generally welcome as long as they observe local etiquette and dress properly. A small gift is appropriate, and photographic documentation is always welcomed.

Rituals associated with pregnancy and birth are generally a private affair, concerning only intimate family, but the first major ceremonies for the baby, at 105 and 210 days, are generally occasions for a small party. The 210-day oton is the baby's "six-month" ceremony, usually the first time on which the infant is allowed to touch the ground, and often the time at which the child is named. The child is dressed in the finest attire and arrayed in gold or silver anklets, bracelets and a small necklace with an amulet to protect it from evil spirits. There is generally music and feasting.

Tooth-filing is an important ceremony that all Balinese must undergo, either at puberty or prior to marriage. The filing of the front teeth is a symbolic removal of animal tendencies such as greed and aggression. It is often held at the same time as a wedding or cremation, in order to reduce costs, and generally all the children of one family will have their teeth filed in the same ceremony. A massive array of offerings are prepared, and the ceremony is presided over by a pedanda or lay priest, depending upon the caste of the family. Each subject takes a turn in lying on a bed of luxurious brocades, surrounded by concerned members of the family, as the priest skillfully files down the rough edges of the front teeth. From time to time the patient is presented a mirror with which to monitor the progress, and the filings are spat into a yellow coconut, as the soothing strains of gender music fill the compound with melody.

Weddings are the obligation of the man's family, and range from a simple ritual in the family temple to long elaborate festivities with rituals presided over by a pedanda, sometimes even followed by a reception for friends and family, feasting and entertainment. The kidnapping of the bride, once common, is now illegal, but prearranged elopement is still popular, as a relatively inexpensive way to get married. Marriages which are mutually arranged by both families are comparatively rare, as they involve long negotiations and expensive ceremonies in which both families must participate. The bride and groom are taken separately for a ritual bath, then dressed in the finest of gold-thread brocades. The man wears his family kris, and the girl is carefully made up with an elaborate hair-style decorated with a crown of shimmering gold flowers. Rituals involve the symbolic tasks of their future life, the preparation of a miniature meal which the couple feed each other by hand, and they are tied together with a symbolic length of cotton thread. Together they pray in the family temple, and from that day on the bride becomes a member of her husband's clan, bound by duty to worship in the temples of his ancestors.

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