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EveryParampara

Next: 13 to 22 Jan 2027

Galungan

Bali's victory of dharma over adharma: tall decorated penjor bamboo poles line every road, and ancestors return to their homes.

Galungan: Penjor lining a road in Bali, Indonesia at Galungan
Photo: Davidelit, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When is Galungan in 2027?

Galungan 2027 runs from 13 to 22 January 2027. Other years: 2026, 17 to 26 June 2026; 2028, 8 to 17 March 2028.

About Galungan

Galungan is observed every 210 days in the Balinese Pawukon calendar, and honours the triumph of dharma over adharma. The ancestors are believed to return to their family compounds and are welcomed with offerings. Along every road, tall curved bamboo poles called penjor, decorated with young coconut leaves, rice stalks and fruit, are set up outside homes in the days beforehand, giving the island a festive look. Families visit temples in new clothes carrying offerings, and share a meal of lawar and roast pork. Ten days later, Kuningan marks the farewell of the ancestors with yellow rice. Barong dancers go from house to house, blessing the neighbourhood and are given small gifts.

Galungan dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

YearGalungan date
202617 to 26 June 2026
202713 to 22 January 2027
20288 to 17 March 2028

What is eaten

  • lawar
  • babi guling
  • yellow rice
  • jaja

Traditions of Galungan

PenjorThe decorated bamboo poles.

Also part of it, and being written: Barong (The lion-like protective spirit that tours the village.), Kuningan (The festival that closes the ten days.).

More marked on Galungan

🇮🇩 Jakarta, Indonesia and 2 moreMudik Indonesians head home to family before Lebaran, in the year's biggest journeyHome 🇮🇩 Ubud, IndonesiaBarongᬩᬭᭀᬂ A sacred Balinese masked dance drama depicting the eternal struggle of good and evilPerformance 🇮🇩 IndonesiaGalungan A Balinese Hindu festival welcoming ancestral spirits and honouring good over evilSpiritual
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Galungan" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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