Over the past several weeks, there were two different special days that were widely celebrated that you might find interesting.
The first one was marked by nearly everything moving on the road (motorbikes, cars, bicycles) being adorned with offerings. It all goes back to the old belief among the Balinese that a certain group of people that could shape metal had magical powers. They were called the Pande. The Pande made all kinds of metal things, but were especially known for these daggers (called keris) that were full of magic. On certain days, people would put out offerings to the spirits and/or magic within the keris. This evolved over time so that now people put offerings on all kinds of things made of metal on this holy day.
The picture here is my neighbor's motorbike with offerings hanging on the front and handlebars.
The second holy day was for plants and trees. The owners of our house had come by and placed offerings at the base of some of the bigger trees in our small yard. Large trees have always been considered among the Balinese as places of a charged spiritual presence. However, on this day some of the smaller trees get some attention...
