CHRISTMAS DAY - DECEMBER 25

Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in most countries of the world, even in many which are not majority Christian. In some non-Christian countries periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration, in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to take it up. Major exceptions, where Christmas is not a formal public holiday, include China, (excepting Hong Kong and Macao), Japan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Thailand, Nepal, Iran, Turkey and North Korea.

While most countries celebrate Christmas on December 25 each year, some national churches including those of Russia, Georgia, Egypt, Armenia, the Ukraine and Serbia celebrate on January 7. This is because of their use of the traditional Julian Calendar, under which December 25 falls on January 7 as measured by the standard Gregorian Calendar.

Around the world, Christmas celebrations can vary markedly in form, reflecting differing cultural and national traditions. Countries like Japan and Korea where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, adopt many of the secular trappings of Christmas such as gift-giving, decorations and Christmas trees.

Pagerwesi - 23 November

The name literally means 'iron fence', on which day ceremonies and prayers are held for strong mental and spiritual defense in welcoming the Galungan holiday.

Sanur Village Festival 2011

Sanur Village Festival (SVF) will be held for the sixth time from the 19th to the 23rd of November 2011 located at Matahari Terbit Beach in Sanur. The time and larger location of this event was deliberately chosen to accommodate the collaboration of National Flora Week 2011 which will merge with the festival this year. National Flora Week is both a national- and international-scale activity which is the initiative of the Indonesian Department of Agriculture that has been handed over to Denpasar City Government to organize. On display at this event will be a range of agricultural products, including all kinds of vegetables, flowers, fruits and herbal medicines.

19th ASEAN Summit

The ASEAN Summit is an annual meeting held by the member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in relation to economic, and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries.

The league of ASEAN is currently connected with other countries who aimed to participate on the missions and visions of the league. Apparently, the league is conducting an annual meetings with other countries in an organization collectively known as the ASEAN dialogue partners. ASEAN +3 adds China, Japan and South Korea. The formal summit are held in three days. The usual itinerary are as follows:

This year's ASEAN Summit is held at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center from November 17 - 19

Saraswati - 19 November

This day is devoted to God's Manifestation as Dewi Saraswati, the beautiful Goddess of Knowledge, Art and Literature. On this day, books of knowledge, manuscripts and the Wedas are blessed and special offerings are made for them.

Commonwealth Bank Tennis Tournament of Champions

The eight players who will contest the Commonwealth Bank TennisTournament of Champions, the annual season-ending championships for the WTA’s International tournaments, have been confirmed.

Marion Bartoli, Sabine Lisicki, Roberta Vinci, Daniela Hantuchova, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Nadia Petrova are the six highest-ranked International Series tournament winners (excluding players qualified for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships), thereby qualifying for the 2011 Tournament of Champions. Defending champion Ana Ivanovic and Peng Shuai have been awarded wildcards, rounding out the Bali field.

All will gather at the Bali Convention Centre, Westin Resort, Nusa Dua for the end of season climax that offers total prize money of $600,000. Matches take place 3rd to 6th November.

UBUD WRITERS AND READERS FESTIVAL 2011 - October 5 - 9, 2011

The 2011 Ubud Readers and Writers Festival theme is Nandurin Karang Awak - Cultivate The Land Within. The theme is inspired by a line in Gaguritan Salampah Laku, a long poem in traditional metres. It was composed by Bali's greatest Kawi-Wiku (poet-priest) Ida Pedanda Made Sidemen. In one part of the Geguritan, Ida Pedanda Made Sidemen says, "..idep beline mangkin, makinkin mayasa lacur, tong ngelah karang sawah, karang awake tadurin.." (My intention now, pursuing the life of simplicity, [since I] don’t have any rice field, [I shall] cultivate the land within myself.

From October 5 - 9, the brightest global writers will come together to debate the issues that nurture us, feed us and inspire us, in a celebration of stories and voices.

The festival will welcome writers from China, Malta, Palestine, Israel, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, France, South Africa, Australia, the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Japan, Egypt, Colombia, Tunisia, New Zealand, Cuba, Russia, Germany and from across the Indonesian archipelago.

The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival is the major project of the not-for-profit foundation, the Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati. It was first conceived by Janet De Neefe, co-founder of the foundation, as a healing project in response to the first Bali bombing, with the first event held in 2004.

The festival's mission is to create a world class literary event that brings together diverse Indonesian and international voices for dialogue and exchange in order to:

• Share stories, ideas and their craft in the spirit of cross-cultural understanding
• Foster greater international awareness and understanding of Indonesian literary cultures.
• Create opportunities for Indonesian writers to present their work to a global audience, and
• Expose Indonesian audiences to the work of international writers.

To download the event schedule, you can go to the following link:
http://www.ubudwritersfestival.com/master-site/2011-UWRF-Programs.pdf

BALI PINK RIBBON WALK 2011 - October 22, 2011

Pink Ribbon Fever is spreading like wildfire through Bali, as momentum builds up for the third annual Pink Ribbon Walk at Nusa Dua on 22nd October. Given the outstanding success of the previous Pink Ribbon Walks, the 2011 Event, planned for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, aims to attract participants from all over the world. With overwhelming support from local businesses, community groups and international hotels, the 2011 Pink Ribbon Walk is certain to become one of the most successful fundraising events to be carried out in Bali. It is hoped that over 500 people will walk the course this year in support of women who have battled breast cancer and for a future where cancer can no longer take their lives.

Why walk in Bali?
Inspired by this vision, a committee of local women, some of whom have been affected by breast cancer themselves, established the first Bali Pink Ribbon Walk in 2009. Supported by the Bali International Women's Association, the Pink Ribbon Walk aims to improve awareness about breast cancer, as well as raise funds towards education and patient support programs in Bali.

Walking the course
The 2011 Walk will start and finish in the scenic grounds of Nusa Dua. Participants may choose to run or walk along the five-kilometer route through the beautiful gardens and along the beach paths of the Nusa Dua Peninsula. The Walk event includes an exciting program of live music, spa cabins, crafts bazaar, fabulous raffle prizes and international food stalls sponsored by leading hotels of Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa.

By purchasing a ticket and joining in the walk or the events planned, buying pink or simply making a donation, you are helping to empower individuals and communities to increase breast cancer awareness in Indonesia.
Ticket prices: Adults Rp 250.000, Children (6 to 12) Rp 100.000
For further information contact:
BIWA Office on 0361 286564 or see them online at www.BaliPinkRibbon.com

THE MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the few most important holidays in the Chinese calendar, the others being Chinese New Year and Winter Solstice, and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the fall harvesting season on this date. Traditionally on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos under the moon together. Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs, such as:

• Carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, floating sky lanterns
• Burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e
• Erect the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is not about planting trees but hanging lanterns on the bamboo pole and putting them on a high point, such as roofs, trees, terraces, etc. It is a custom in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, etc.
• Collecting dandelion leaves and distributing them evenly among family members
• Fire Dragon Dances
• In Taiwan, since the 1980s, barbecuing meat outdoors has become a widespread way to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Shops selling mooncakes before the festival often display pictures of Chang'e floating to the moon.

Why Mooncakes?

Mooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival / Zhongqiu Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four most important Chinese festivals.

Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. A thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea. Today, it is customary for businessmen and families to present them to their clients or relatives as presents, helping to fuel a demand for high-end mooncake styles.

In Indonesia, there are hundreds of types of moon cakes, from the traditional to the modern mooncakes. The very traditional mooncake has been there ever since the Chinese and Japanese entered Indonesia, they are circular like a moon, white and rather thin. Fillings may include pork, chocolate, cheese, milk, durian, jackfruit and many other exotic fruits, however before 1998 it was only sold in small markets or villages. Now the traditional moon cake is easy to find in supermarkets and mini marts, rather than the modern mooncakes.

The "modern" mooncakes finally entered Indonesia after 1998.

(Excerpts from wikipedia)

PROCLAMATION OF INDONESIAN INDEPENDENCE

The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (Indonesian: Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply Proklamasi) was read at 10.00 a.m. on Friday, August 17, 1945. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia's independence in 1949. In 2005, the Netherlands declared that they had decided to accept 17 August 1945 as Indonesia's independence date.
Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, who were appointed President and Vice-president, respectively, were the document's signatories.

33rd Bali Arts Festival - 11 June until 9 July 2011

Vivid dresses and gold headpieces shimmer as Balinese dancers gracefully perform the classic legong, gambuh and other spectacular local dances at the immensely popular Bali Arts Festival.

The Bali Arts Festival or commonly known as 'Pesta Kesenian Bali' is a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions and other related cultural and commercial activities during which literally the whole of Bali comes to the city to present its offerings of dance, music and beauty. On display are trances from remote mountain slopes, forgotten or recently revived village dances, food and offering contests, classical palace dances, stars of Balinese stage, odd musical performances, "kreasi baru" (new creations) from the dance schools of Denpasar, as well as contemporary choreography and dance companies from other islands and from abroad.

The festival is thus a unique opportunity to see local village culture both "live" and at first hand. Tourists are warmly welcomed and the most important thing is this event is for free.

For detail schedule please click: http://bit.ly/kDvKBC

WAISAK - 17 MAY

Waisak is an annual holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists in the Indian subcontinent, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the South East Asian countries of Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Indonesia. Sometimes informally called "Buddha's Birthday", it actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment (nirvāna), and passing away (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha.

The exact date of Vesākha varies according to the various lunar calendars used in different traditions. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on the full moon Uposatha day (typically the 5th or 6th lunar month). Vesākha Day in China is on the eighth of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar, but falls in April or May.

TUMPEK LANDEP - 7 MAY

Tumpek Landep is a ceremony dedicated to Sang Hyang Pasupati, lord of heirlooms, for the creation of metal goods.

Offerings are made for cooking utensils, gardening tools, machineries, vehicles and the likes. Special prayers are done so that these materials will continue to be strong and bring good fortune to the owners.

You can see during this day that cars and motorbikes are fully decorated with offerings and ornaments made of young coconut leaves.

PAGERWESI - APRIL 27

Balinese Hindus celebrate Pagerwesi ceremony every six months based on Bali's calender system (210 days). Pagarwesi means "iron fence," and is a day to strengthen one's fortification against evil. The offerings to the Gods and ask for spiritual power to cope with hardship and misfortune. Offerings are made for the uncremated dead at the cemeteries.
This year the Pagerwesi ceremony falls on Wednesday April 27th.

The meaning of the word Pagerwesi comes from two Javanese words, pager (fence) and wesi (iron). Pagerwesi literally means the day of "iron fence". According to this belief, a person should protect themselves with a strong fortification against the forces of evil.

The Pagerwesi Day is believed to be a day upon which an ancient battle between good and evil is celebrated.

EASTER DAY - APRIL 24

Easter (Greek: Πάσχα, Pascha) is the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days after his crucifixion, and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday (also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday), two days after Good Friday. The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously estimated between the years 26 and 36 A.D.

The egg is seen as symbolic of the grave and life renewed or resurrected by breaking out of it. The red supposedly symbolizes the blood of Christ redeeming the world and human redemption through the blood shed in the sacrifice of the crucifixion. The egg itself is a symbol of resurrection: while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it.

While the origin of Easter eggs can be explained in the symbolic terms described above, a pious legend among followers of Eastern Christianity says that Mary Magdalene was bringing cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Jesus, and the eggs in her basket miraculously turned brilliant red when she saw the risen Christ.

The Easter Bunny is a mythical character depicted as an anthropomorphic rabbit. In legend, the creature brings baskets filled with colored eggs, candy and toys to the homes of children on the night before Easter. The Easter Bunny will either put the baskets in a designated place or hide them somewhere in the house for the children to find when they wake up in the morning. The Easter Bunny is very similar in trait to its Christmas holiday counterpart, Santa Claus, as they both bring gifts to good children on the night before their respective holiday. Its origin is disputed but the character was mentioned as early as 1600; some trace it to alleged pre-Christian fertility lore, others to the role of the hare in Christian iconography. (www.wikipedia.com).

SARASWATI DAY - APRIL 22

This is a traditional Balinese Hindu ceremony dedicated to the goddess of knowledge. This is the special day of thanks for the gift of knowledge. The festive day is a time for making offerings to books and especially the sacred lontar palm leaf books. All books are subjects on this day. One is not supposed to read books, however schools have special ceremonies.

INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY - APRIL 22

Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. April 22 corresponds to spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues. In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 International Mother Earth Day. (www.wikipedia.com)

NYEPI DAY - 5th March 2011
On 5th March 2011, the island of Bali will celebrate Nyepi Day - a day of silence. It is New Year's eve according to the Balinese calendar.

Nyepi Day is the day of self - introspection for Balinese Hindu followers. On Nyepi day, four mandatory religious prohibitions should be observed: no fire, no work, no entertainment or pleasure and no travels, by air, land or sea. It is believed that the evil spirits summoned the night before, will be tricked into believing that Bali is barren of life and will leave the island. This day, people will keep silent, meditate to purify their minds and souls and be by themselves.

The 24-hour observation of silence will be from 06:00 am on Saturday, 5th March until 06:00 am on Sunday, 6th March 2011.

For visitors or residents who do not celebrate Nyepi, this can be a special day of togetherness and family gathering. Guests at our resort need not worry about restrictions to stay indoors and off the beach.

Couples and parents can take this opportunity to just rest and relax around the lush landscape of the resort or perform work outs at the gym and fitness center equipped with sauna and steam room, or just relax and be pampered at the Mandara Spa. Even kids can enjoy themselves at the Jungle Camp and join kids program we have prepared to entertain them during Nyepi day.

VALENTINE'S DAY - February 14
(Information source: en.wikipedia.org)

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

CHINESE NEW YEAR - 3 January 2011
Year of the Rabbit
(Information source: en.wikipedia.org)

Chinese New Year - often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar - is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. Despite its winter occurrence, in China it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name 春节 (Pinyin: Chūn Jié), owing to the difference between Western and traditional Chinese methods for computing the seasons. The festival begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: Zhēng Yuè) in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as Chú Xī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year."

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese Lunisolar Calendar. The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection on how the people behaved and what they believed in the most.

Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere. Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbors, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans (Seollal), Tibetans and Bhutanese (Losar), Mongolians (Tsagaan Sar), Vietnamese (Tết), and the Japanese before 1873 (Oshogatsu).

In countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Australia Post, Canada Post, and the US Postal Service issue New Year's themed stamps.

Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also the tradition that every family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper-cuts and couplets with popular themes of "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity". On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is a great way to reconcile; forgetting all grudges, and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.

Although the Chinese calendar traditionally does not use continuously numbered years, outside China its years are often numbered from the reign of the Yellow Emperor, Huangdi. But at least three different years numbered 1 are now used by various scholars, making the year 2011 "Chinese Year" 4709, 4708, or 4648.

RUSSIAN CHRISTMAS - January 7

Russian Christmas (taken from wikipedia.com)
Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas, in accordance with the old Julian calendar. It's a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration

After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It wasn't until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed. Today, it's once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of the painted icons of Saints.

Christmas is one of the most joyous traditions for the celebration of Eve comes from the Russian tradition. On the Eve of Christmas, it is traditional for all family members to gather to share a special meal. The various foods and customs surrounding this meal differed in Holy Russia from village to village and from family to family, but certain aspects remained the same.

An old Russian tradition, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is the Christmas Eve fast and meal. The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. The dinner that follows is very much a celebration, although, meat is not permitted. Kutya (kutia), a type of porridge, is the primary dish. It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.

Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin. Although all of the food served is strictly Lenten, it is served in an unusually festive and anticipatory manner and style. The Russians call this meal: "The Holy Supper". The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought forth as a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is place in the center of the Table, symbolic of Christ "the Light of the World". A large round loaf of Lenten bread, "pagach", symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle.

The meal begins with the Lord's Prayer, led by the father of the family. A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered. The head of the family greets those present with the traditional Christmas greeting: "Christ is Born"! The family members respond: "Glorify Him"! The Mother of the family blesses each person present with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying: "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year". Following this, everyone partakes of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness. The "Holy Supper" is then eaten (see below for details). After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. On the Feast of the Nativity, neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house, eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long.

WHAT'S ON ARCHIVE: 2010