Don’t Do These Four Things on Nyepi Day

Rich with cultural tradition and value, Bali is the house for many unique festivities in the island. Nyepi is one of the most famous celebrations in Bali, acknowledged by the citizens of the world and even adopted globally as World’s Silent Day. In simple way, Nyepi is known as the Balinese Day of Silence, observed primarily in the island of Bali, a small exotic island in Indonesia. Nyepi is a sacred Hindu holiday that involves self-reflection and is marked by a complete shutdown of daily activities among the people. There are four things you cannot do on Nyepi Day:

1. No Traveling (Amati Lelungan)
   • People are not allowed to leave their homes. Your neighborhoods will be strictly guarded by the traditional Balinese security called pecalang. They wear mostly black outfit (often with checkerboard pattern). On Nyepi Day, the airport in Bali is completely closed for 24 hours (from 6.00 in the Nyepi Day morning until 6.00 in the morning on the next day.
2. No Entertainment or Enjoyment (Amati Lelanguan)
   • Activities like watching TV, listening to music, or engaging in entertainment are prohibited. By doing this, the Balinese people are encouraged to navigate their life slowly, embracing the life before them, and reflect on the events happened in their life in the past. In this fast paced modern life, celebrating Nyepi in Bali sounds like living a real slow lifestyle, going against what is considered as normal in our daily life.
3. No Work (Amati Karya)
   • Businesses, offices, and shops in Bali island remain closed on Nyepi Day. Furthermore, the Balinese Hindu people is strongly suggested to not working on this day, at any means. So, what do we do on Nyepi Day? Nothing. We will use the best of this time to strengthen our bond with the members of the family simply by sitting down together and talk. We can also use this opportunity to help our body to rest properly. Healed from the hustling modern life that we live throughout the year.
4. No Fire or Lights (Amati Geni)
   • No lighting of fires, including cooking, and no use of bright lights at night. Usually the Balinese Hindu people will fast on Nyepi Day. However, in some household, especially in a house with little children and elderly, cooking activities often done as normal day, but should be finished before 6.00 in the morning. No more cooking activities (or any other activities with fire) done in the house. Balinese Hindu people will get ready to celebrate Nyepi.

If you are not a Balinese Hindu, but would like to participate in celebrating Nyepi, you can manage yourself to follow all those 4 rules on Nyepi Day. Even tourists in Bali is obliged to respect these restrictions. If you happe to stay in Bali on Nyepi Day, please be informed that you are not allowed to turn on the lights in your house. Even if you need to turn the light on, you should cover windows in the house so that the light in your bedroom is not visible from outside. You are not permitted to go outside your house yard. Pecalang will stop you and reprimand you if you do. Mobile data and local television channels are disabled for 24 hours. Despite all of these restrictions during Nyepi day, the night sky on the island will be amazingly clear without light polution, so that you can look up and see countless stars over your head. The goal of Nyepi is to achieve spiritual cleansing through silence, meditation, and practice self-discipline.