Top 10 Most Colourful Festivals In Indonesia

Indonesia is well known as a holiday destination in Southeast Asia, although it is less famous for its main festivals and events. This is a shame however as Indonesia has a wealth of important festivals that are held throughout the year. Indonesia is also known for having more religious celebrations than many other countries in Southeast Asia, and the reason for this is that it is made up of some 17,000 islands, which all have their own cultural celebrations at different times during the year. To add to this, Indonesia also recognizes six main religions, namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism, which means that all major holidays related to these religions are also celebrated as public holidays.

Festivals celebrated in Indonesia

As you would expect, all the usual religious festivals are celebrated in Indonesia, such as the Eid Al Fitr which is the end of the Muslim fasting month, as well as Christmas and Chinese New Year. There are also a number of other religious festivals that relate to minority faiths such as Hinduism and Buddhism which are technically public holidays across the archipelago but which may actually only be celebrated in local areas such as in Bali (which is predominately Hindu).

As well as the main religious festivals however, you will also find smaller and more localized cultural celebrations which are not public holidays but which are used to celebrate events such as the beginning or the end of the harvest season. If anything, these cultural celebrations are often more colourful and more engaging than the countrywide religious holidays, as they vary so much from place to place, and no two are alike, depending on which island you happen to be travelling to.

One more thing to bear in mind when you are travelling in Indonesia is that many of the festivals here are held in the month of August. The reason for this is that Indonesia’s main event, which is National Day, takes place in August and many other smaller festivals are then blocked around this period which is also the summer holidays for many Indonesian schools.

Another thing to note is that many festivals in Indonesia do not have fixed dates as they often follow the cycles of the moon which means that they are subject to change every year. With that in mind you will need to check the dates of many of these festivals, particularly the smaller ones which are regional rather than national holidays.

Whatever time of year you visit Indonesia however, you are likely to come across at least one or two festivals as there is something going on somewhere pretty much from January to December if you count all the cultural celebrations and the religious festivals together including Christmas and New Year.

Here are the 10 best festivals in Indonesia...

1. The Bau Nyale Fishing Festival

The Bau Nyale Fishing Festival is held every year on the island of Lombok, although the date is changeable and is one of the less well known festivals in Indonesia. It is usually held around the end of February or the beginning of March and is a great sight to see if you want to learn more about the traditional Sasak culture which is unique to Lombok. The festival is meant to honor the legend of a Sasak princess who drowned in Lombok and the main activity is catching fish in her memory. This festival is not a public holiday across Indonesia as it is unique to Lombok, but it is well worth a visit if you are in the area for a glimpse of one of the most interesting legends in the country.

2. The Pasola Festival

The Pasola Festival is unique to the Indonesian island of Sumba and is one of the fastest paced and action packed festivals in the archipelago. The Pasola Festival usually takes place at the end of February or the beginning of March and made up of a traditional jousting match. Two men on horseback charge at each other and try to knock their opponent from his horse using a traditional spear. The festival can be quite a fearsome sight if you have never seen anything like this before, but actually it is meant to act as a blessing so that crops will flourish in the coming year and there will be enough food to eat.

3. Nyepi

Nyepi is widely known across Indonesia as the ‘Day of Silence’ and is also a public holiday in all parts of the country. This is one of the most famous and important Bali festivals, so it well worth experiencing once if you are in town at the right time. Nyepi is actually the start of the Balinese New Year, so although it is a countrywide holiday, it is only celebrated on the island of Bali itself. Nyepi is scheduled according to the moon cycle so the dates change every year, although it is usually held in March. On the actual day of Nyepi itself, if you are in Bali, you will not be able to leave your hotel or guesthouse and even the airport is closed for the day. You are also technically not allowed to turn on lights or use electrical appliances. The reason for this is that the Balinese believe that ghosts fly over the island on this day and, if they see it in complete darkness, will think it is uninhabited and will leave it alone for another year. The only reason you are allowed to venture outside in this day is if you have an emergency such as needing to seek medical treatment.

4. Waisak

Waisak is a Buddhist festival in Indonesia as Buddhism is one of the six officially recognized religions in the country. This is one of Indonesia’s main religious celebrations and the festival is held in honor of the birth of the Buddha. It is also planned according to the phases of the moon but it falls on the full moon in either May or the beginning of June. The ceremony is a public holiday across Indonesia although the main ceremony takes place at Borobudur temple which is also the largest Buddhist temple anywhere in the world. If you plan to make the trip to Borobudur, which is on the outskirts of the city of Yogyakarta, then bear in mind that this is a considered an annual pilgrimage for many Buddhist devotees and monks during Waisak which mean that it is likely to be very crowded.

5. Galungan

Galungan is a Hindu ceremony that is performed in Bali and is meant to mark the time when the spirits of ancestors return home. The dates of the ceremony change every year as it is calculated in line with the Hindu calendar which runs for 210 days instead of 365. In 2018 the ceremony will run from May to June and lasts for 10 days. During this time people in Bali have dance performances and competitions and also lay offerings to appease the spirits. You should also expect it to be rather noisy as letting off firecrackers is common as a way of scaring away any evil spirits that may be lurking nearby. The end of the Galungan holiday is usually marked as a public holiday in Bali although it is not observed by the rest of Indonesia.

6. The Baliem Valley Festival

The Baliem Valley Festival takes place in Papua Province and is usually held in August although the dates are subject to change. The festival is used as a prosperity ritual and is also mean to act as a fertility blessing. The main event at the festival consists of different groups who live in the surrounding area who then come together and pretend to fight each other in a series of mock battles. These can seem quite fearsome up close, although they are meant to be used to promote good luck for the year ahead.

7. The Kesodo Ceremony

The Kesodo Ceremony takes place every year in August. The ceremony is located at the stunning Mount Bromo on the island of Java which is known for being a still-active volcano. Every year locals come to the mountain and bring offerings and perform prayers to ensure that the volcano does not erupt again in the year that follows the ceremony. If you are already planning to hike up Mount Bromo, then it is well worth timing this so that you can also watch the ceremony at the same time.

8. National Day

National Day is also known as Indonesian Independence Day and is the day that Indonesia formally declared independence from the Dutch colonialists in 1945. As you would expect, this celebration is held across the archipelago and takes place on the 17th of August every year. Each part of Indonesia has its own way of celebrating the national holiday, although parties are usually held as well as competitions where competitors complete feats such as climbing poles that have been covered in grease in order to win a prize. There are also military parades in many parts of the country and all towns and villages are decorated with Indonesian flags and ribbons. In the evening of the 17th of August many cities and towns have a fireworks show.

9. The Krakatoa Festival

The Krakatoa Festival is held in Lampung in Java and is another Indonesian celebration that is focused on a volcano. As the name suggests, the festival is held in honor of Krakatoa Volcano which was once the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the world. The festival usually takes place in August and it features a range of attractions such as a fireworks show and a colorful parade. You will also get to see graceful elephants making their way through the streets as well as dance performances and competitions.

10. The Bidar Race

The Bidar Race is held on the scenic Musi River in Palembang in Sumatra and is well worth a visit if you are in this part of Indonesia. The race takes place in boats which are styled as traditional wooden canoes and painted a series of eye-catching colors. Several teams race against each other to see who is the fastest and there are a number of heats as different teams go head to head to be crowned the overall winner. Like many festivals in Indonesia this takes place in August every year, usually a few days before National Day.

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If you are traveling to Indonesia then one of the best things that you can do is catch one of the cultural celebrations or religious festivals that take place across the archipelago. Often these are the highlight of a trip for many people who visit Indonesia and offer a unique glimpse into the cultural and religious background of this engaging country.