Everyone deserves a second chance and Bali believes this wholeheartedly. The first New Year is full of life, parties, and something that can be easily recognized anywhere around the world, whereas the second one is quiet, holy, and very much focused on the inner self.
Bali celebrates New Year twice, December 31st is celebrated with beach parties, fireworks, and festivities just like most of the entire world. Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, is marked by a full day of silence, reflection, and spiritual cleansing observed throughout the island.
Understanding Bali’s two New Years reveals the island’s perfect balance between celebration and introspection, offering visitors both energetic nightlife and peaceful moments of stillness found nowhere else. People love this balance and how both energies compliment each other.
The Two New Years of Bali
Bali celebrates two New years. December 31st is according to the internationally used Gregorian calendar thus Bali is celebrating with the rest of the world.
Nyepi, on the other hand, is celebrated according to the Balinese Saka calendar and it is the spiritual New Year of the island’s Hindu population.
These two New Years compliment and fit each other like two peas in a pod. One is a reflection of Bali as a worldwide tourism destination and the other is keeping up with the ancient religious philosophy.
This duality makes it possible for Bali to have two different worlds and both are equally effective in attracting people who are looking for a party or spiritual travelers.
For the international celebrations, buying Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) in advance ensures you can freely enjoy the festivities. For a more convenient travel experience, consider a zero markup multi-currency forex card, allowing you seamless access to funds during your spiritual or celebratory journey in Bali.
December 31st in Bali with Fireworks, Beaches, and Energy
Popular spots like Seminyak, Kuta, Canggu, and Nusa Dua turn into lively destinations full of music, fireworks, and celebrations by the sea.
New Year’s Eve dinners and party countdowns are organized in hotels, resorts, and beach clubs, usually accompanied by DJs playing live, cultural performances, and fireworks lighting up the sky over the ocean.
You ask, what makes Bali different? The vibe people bring and the wild partying environment is what we say. Bali New Year celebrations take place on the beaches, in open-air venues, and among nature instead of bustling city squares.
At midnight, there are fireworks over the water surrounded by palm trees and the refreshing ocean breeze. The air is full of joy although it is not too busy and rushed, people are allowed to celebrate freely till the first few hours of the New Year.
Bali shows you two sides of the same coin. One side you get the peaceful villages along the coast which are lit up by fireworks in the sky. Beachfront venues offer magnificent views of the horizon, where the sea becomes part of the celebration rather than being a side show.
Most of the visitors prefer to see the firework display right from the beach, so they sit on the beach and not in the closed venues. Such a shared manner of enjoyment is in line with Bali’s iconic vibe for big celebrations.
Nyepi or Bali’s Silent New Year
Nyepi is the most sacred and unique New Year celebration in Bali which is held following the Balinese Hindu calendar. It is different from December 31st as Nyepi is not a celebration of the loudness but rather the stillness.
The whole island shuts down for 24 hours. No flights are available, no cars on the roads, no lights are used and even tourists are not allowed to leave their rooms.
Nyepi’s main point is spiritual purification. In their belief, by having complete silence, the evil spirits are tricked into thinking that the island is deserted and therefore a new spiritual beginning is attainable.
On the day before Nyepi, villages throughout Bali celebrate Ogoh-Ogoh parades, which is a display of huge demon-like figures made of bamboo and paper.
These characters are the representation of evil forces and human vices that are to be, at least symbolically, destroyed before the New Year gets started.
After sunset, the statues are taken to the streets with the accompaniment of music, chants, and enactments. In the end, the Ogoh-Ogoh are set on fire, indicating the return of freshness and re-birth.
For the tourists, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to get a deep understanding of Balinese cosmology and community life, which is totally different from the heavily commercialized celebrations of December 31st.
Ensure you have enough local Indonesian currency secured well in advance, as ATMs and currency exchange services are unavailable during the day of silence. Locking in a favorable idr to inr rate before you travel allows you to focus entirely on the cultural and spiritual journey.
Nyepi Day, has very little to “see” in the usual way and this is the reason it exists and it is important. A full day without any noise, traffic, or artificial light, reveals Bali in its rawest form.
Keeping the belief aside, this day is perfect to observe silence when you feel that everything in your life is rushing in full motion. People staying in hotels or private houses can hear the most beautiful silence which is very difficult to find in modern life.
For a great number of travelers, Nyepi turns into a time of introspection instead of sightseeing, thus, making it a very unique personal experience of the New Year which is totally different from the usual ones.
At nighttime, the sky gets very clear and a number of stars can be seen which are hardly ever visible because of the pollution. Isn’t this a perfect plan for your silent retreat?
Visitor in Bali get to see the two New Years very differently. December 31st is lively and filled with socialization, full of action, arrangement, and festivities.
Unlike that, Nyepi is a day when one has to let go of control and keep quiet. For this, hotels limit their services but assure a comfortable and safe stay during the day of silence.
Several travelers consider the day of silence not to be a cage but rather a way to get in touch with oneself. It is a time for rest, reflection, and introspection from the usual contemporary lifestyle.
Being a part of Bali’s New Year celebrations would definitely mean that you have to be culturally sensitive. Due to this, the night of December 31st is a night for everyone and people from all over the world are free to come and have fun together.
However, Nyepi is no less and equally joyful. It is a very special time and the rules have to be observed even by those who are not Hindus. Respecting these customs is the least we can do as tourists because let’s not forget the spiritual essence of Bali.
It’s this perfect balance of yin and yang, being open and at the same time respectful that keeps the Bali cultural heritage going. New Year visitors who show proper respect to both celebrations most often walk away with a richer insight of the island besides its beaches and nightlife.
Wait, hear us out! Visiting Bali during the New Year period is not an easy task. It is a very busy period during December 31st, because there is a lot of demand for places to stay and events to attend.
Nyepi, on the other hand, needs people to be conscious of the regulations that include not only the airports but also the public transport. It is very important to know these dates beforehand so that you do not get in the way or spoil your mood when things don’t go your way.
BookMyForex can help you achieve your calmness of mind by sorting your forex before you leave so that you can concentrate on the cultural experiences and the nightlife of Bali rather than figuring your budget and money.
About the Author
Bhawna Nijhawan is the Content Manager at BookMyForex and the go-to person for creating engaging, informative content that resonates with the platform’s diverse audience. With over 8 years of experience in content writing and more than 4 years in the forex industry, she knows exactly how to simplify complex forex topics into something everyone can relate to.
