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Celebration: 'Ngelawang' - 'Celebrating the Year of the Monkey'
Words and photos Agung ParameswaraThe Chinese Lunar New Year, which fell on Feb
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Words and photos Agung Parameswara
The Chinese Lunar New Year, which fell on Feb. 8 this year, is celebrated worldwide by millions of Chinese people, who this year are welcoming the Year of the Monkey, based on the Chinese zodiac.
Bali was no exception. Over hundreds of years, the island has welcomed many Chinese people, who have since grown roots here and some of whom have married local residents. Chinese influences on Bali's traditional arts, dances, architecture and fashion are clearly seen in daily life.
At Vihara Dharmayana temple in Kuta, lavish decorations were in place to celebrate the holiday season. The smell of fragrant burning incense filled the temple, piles of beautiful fresh fruit offerings were placed on tables to honor the ancestral deities and red and gold lanterns were hung all over the temple to signify wealth and prosperity.
Red is most often used for decorations and costumes as it is believed to ward off evil, is closely associated with luck and also symbolizes a new start.
Although Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, fell on Monday, people had already been celebrating for a few days. On New Year's Eve, hundreds of people of Chinese descent held a special celebration, locally known as ngelawang - a dragon and lion dance parade that is part of the rituals to eliminate negative forces and welcome the New Year.
In Indonesia, the lion dance, often called barongsai, is performed by two dancers, while the dragon dance is performed by many. The dragon dance is believed to bring good luck to the community.
On Sunday, the lion and dragon dance parade started from the temple and headed toward Kuta. Hundreds of people took part, carrying offerings and placing them at every street corner to balance nature and remove bad spirits.
The parade returned to the temple in the evening, when people started to pray for health and wealth in the Year of the Monkey, the ninth animal sign in the Chinese zodiac, which is expected to bring greater prosperity to people around the world.
