Sam Hammington from Channel A's 'Family Overstepped' noted that "there are days when everyone, including tourists in Bali, cannot leave their buildings." This surprises 'Bali experts' Ahn Jung-hwan and Yoo Se-yoon.
In the 83rd episode of Channel A's 'Family Overstepped,' airing at 8:10 p.m. on the 15th, 'Bali Family' Lee Ji-young and Nanan make a long-awaited appearance with their daughter Moana, revealing their daily life during Bali's 'holiday season' that combines the festivals of Hinduism and Islam.
On that day, 'Bali Family' explained, "Indonesia, where Bali is located, practices Islam, but Bali's religion is Hinduism. Therefore, when combining the holidays of the two religions, there are more than 20 public holidays a year." Studio cast members collectively expressed their envy, saying, "That sounds great!" The 'Bali Family' then declared, "The biggest holiday, 'Nyepi Day,' is tomorrow," adding, "We will introduce the special eve of Bali's holiday." As night falls, a parade featuring 'Ogoh-Ogoh' (demonic figurines) begins, accompanied by scaring sounds from people. Regarding the somewhat scary atmosphere, the 'Bali Family' remarked, "This is a ritual to purify the misfortunes of last year and start the new year fresh," and added, "On the holiday itself, no one can go outside, and anyone who does will be caught by the police," shocking everyone.
Sam Hammington, seated as the 'Bali representative' in the studio, explained that "'Nyepi Day' means 'Day of Silence,' and there is a custom to maintain silence so that the malicious spirits visiting Bali on the first day of the new year think there are 'no people' and pass by. Not only is the use of fire or electricity suppressed, but all media, including TV, is also 'stopped,' and everyone, including tourists, cannot leave their buildings, which halts operations at the airport." He continued with this 'customized explanation' and shared a 'tip' that "airfare tends to be cheaper before and after this period," which Ahn Jung-hwan and Yoo Se-yoon nodded at, stating, "Even after visiting Bali several times, I didn't know such a day existed."
On the actual holiday, 'Bali Family' executes a 'stay-at-home life' by preparing traditional Bali food 'Klepon' at home. They then depart for Indonesia's 'Java' at 6 a.m. the following day when the rules are lifted, to meet Nanan's family for the holiday 'Lebaran,' which comes the day after. They described, "Initially, we traveled for 15 hours on a motorcycle," arriving at Nanan's hometown after a journey over mountains and across waters. Lee Ji-young introduced various areas of the in-laws' home, stating, "When I first came here, I thought I was in a folk village from 100 years ago,” as the well and furnace are perfectly preserved.
[Photo] Provided by Channel A
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