Balinese wedding, a mixture of colors and rituals

What plans do you have for tomorrow? Well ... I didn't even finish the sentence because I also answered the following question: "Do you want to go to a traditional Balinese wedding?" Early in the morning, after having breakfast in the middle of the rice field where we were staying, we began to prepare for a wonderful experience. We put on the costumes offered by the wonderful host, without which we were not allowed to participate in the ceremony, and we went with quick steps to the place that would open an unprecedented world until then.

A country road surrounded by lush vegetation, where roosters came out to search for food, singing endlessly, wanting to keep the rhythm with our steps, opened the way for what was to captivate us and remain in our soul forever. An ornate gate, in front of which a groom and a bride were waiting for their guests, made us stop for a moment in our attempt to appease our astonishment.

A lot of scooters and cars started to fill the road. Women dressed traditionally wore on their heads ornated baskets. Filled with food, along with some money for the grooms.

We lost among the locals and started to know them the story. The ritual of a Balinese wedding consists of a series of traditional ceremonies. Before the big day, a ceremony is held at the bride's house where she acknowledges that she leaves the parental home and gives up her inheritance rights, as well as any responsibilities she has to family and ancestors. From this day, she no longer has to contribute to any traditional and religious ritual for her family. The man's family is present to receive the bride and take her to the groom's house. The next day, the wedding takes place at his house. Unlike the other weddings, the Balinese wedding is missing the moment when the grooms say "Yes", as it is not part of the ceremony. Within the ritual, offerings are made placed on coconut leaves, flowers, fruits and other things that nature offers.

The ritual begins with the purification of the grooms and continues with another ritual - Medagang-Dagangan, in which the bride claims to buy grains and the groom is the one who sells them. The man then takes a dagger and stab it in a shield made of coconut leaves. In the end, the bride prays to the supreme God and the ancestors and asks for the blessing. This symbolizes the fact that the wedding took place in the presence of God and the ancestors.

A party takes place on the same day at the groom's house. The guests come and go without having to consider any program. Anyone can come in during the day until late at night, and the grooms are ready to welcome them. Generally guests come dressed in traditional costumes and bring gifts consisting of pots or special baskets with food placed on coconut leaves - rice, sugar and coffee.

When the party is over, another ritual is waiting to begin. The next day the parents of the groom together with the young couple go to visit the parents of the girl. Loaded with food and other gifts, they come to make the happy bride's family and show her that the girl has a new family from now on.

After many hours spent in the middle of the locals, we also headed to the magical Balinese bungalow in the middle of the rice field, which awaited us for another day of rest. Much richer souls, loaded with unique experiences and unforgettable moments, we danced in the middle of the rice plantations, competed with the egrets and got drunk with the scent of flowers whose petals were drawn everywhere. The scented sticks lit at each gate enveloped us and made us float. As a new day dawned on the horizon, another question arose: What will the next experience bring us?

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