Today, Saturday, November 29, 2025, is Kuningan Day in Bali.
Here's a detailed explanation of what tourists and Expatriates can expect.
🟡 Kuningan Day: The Spiritual Farewell
Kuningan is one of the most important days for Balinese Hindus. It happens exactly 10 days after Galungan, which celebrated the victory of dharma (goodness) over adharma (evil) and the return of ancestral spirits.
1. What is Happening Today (Kuningan Day)?
Kuningan marks the time when the ancestral spirits and deities who came down for Galungan return to the heavens.
The Main Meaning: It is a day of saying farewell to the ancestors and giving thanks for the blessings and guidance they provided during their visit.
Special Offerings: The most recognizable part of Kuningan is the use of yellow rice (Nasi Kuning) in the offerings. The word kuning means "yellow," and the color symbolizes prosperity, gratitude, and the wealth of life.
The Deadline: A key tradition is that all prayers and ceremonies must be completed before noon. Balinese people believe the spirits and deities leave the Earth around midday, so they must receive their offerings and farewell wishes before then.
2. What Happens in Balinese Homes?
In Balinese homes, the day is filled with spiritual devotion, family gathering, and special offerings.
Offerings Everywhere: Families prepare elaborate offerings (banten) which are presented at their family temple within the house compound. These offerings are made to honor the returning ancestors and the deities.
Tamiang: A round, shield-shaped offering that symbolizes protection and the wheel of the world (the cycle of life). It is often hung outside the home.
Endongan: An offering shaped like a small woven bag or pocket. This symbolizes the provisions the ancestors take back with them to the heavens—usually interpreted as spiritual provisions like knowledge and goodness.
Prayer and Dress: Family members dress in their finest traditional attire and perform prayers together at their homes and often at the village temple. The atmosphere is one of hopeful gratitude.
Food: Special festive foods, often including the yellow rice (Nasi Kuning), are prepared, offered to the spirits, and then shared among the family to celebrate.
3. Saying Goodbye to Relatives Tomorrow Sunday Nov 30th 2025
The religious farewell to the ancestral spirits happens today with the offerings and ceremonies.
The farewell to living relatives happens tomorrow, on the day known as Manis Kuningan (which simply means "Sweet Kuningan").
Manis Kuningan (Tomorrow): This day has no major formal religious ceremonies. It is a day dedicated to family relaxation and social visiting.
The Simple Farewell: After the strict religious duties of Kuningan are over, Manis Kuningan is a time for people to:
Rest after the busy holiday period.
Visit extended family, friends, and neighbors to maintain strong community bonds.
Enjoy outings and simple celebrations together.
In short: Today, they say a spiritual goodbye to the spirits. Tomorrow, they enjoy a final social day with the living family before returning to normal life.
What Shops and Services will be closed?
During Galungan / Kuningan and the day after “Manis Kuningan” / “Manis Galungan” — many traditional/local businesses will be closed or operate on limited hours.
✅ What tends to close or reduce service
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Many locally run shops, small warungs, markets, family-run businesses — these often close for the duration of the holiday or for a day around it.
Government offices, banks, administrative services — official institutions tend to shut or greatly reduce operations.
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Some temple-area shops and stalls — not for commercial tourism, but village-serving ones. Many locals are busy with offerings, rituals and family visits.
🍽️ What may stay open (especially for tourists)
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Larger tourist-facing restaurants, cafés, beach clubs, resorts — these often remain open even if small local shops are closed.
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Some larger shops or department-style stores in tourist zones or “Western-style” malls, though smaller retail outlets might close.
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Some essential services may operate — but availability (e.g. of transport, ride-share, etc.) may be limited.
📆 On Which Days
On Kuningan day (the “farewell” day 10 days after Galungan): again, many local shops/businesses may close or have limited hours.
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On Manis Kuningan (day after): the pace gradually returns to normal, but some local places may remain unofficially closed or slow as families rest or recover.
🎯 What this means for you :
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If you need local groceries, small-shop supplies, or local-market items, best to stock up before the holiday.
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Restaurants/cafés catering to tourists will likely still work, but some small warungs may not, or only open late.
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Public services, banks or any admin-type tasks need to be done before or after the holiday — they’ll likely be shut.
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Transport and ride-share availability may be limited (fewer drivers, people at temples or with family) — plan ahead for any travel.
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