Ngembak Geni

Ngembak Geni is a day of self-introspection, during which locals contemplate their values of tolerance, love, patience, and kindness.

Most shops will be closed on this day; however, many restaurants will remain open. Instead, you will find many shopkeepers bringing their wares to the beaches around Seminyak and selling their items at small market stalls.

‘Ngembak Geni’ is derived from two names: Ngembak, which translates to ‘free’, and Geni, which means ‘fire’. This translation, therefore, means that the locals who observe the festival are free from fire. To understand this, you must delve deeper into the meanings of other surrounding holidays.

Ngembak Geni is held one day after Nyepi, a popular event and one of the most significant in Balinese culture as it celebrates the ‘Day of Silence’. After a day of reflection and self-introspection, locals will engage in daily social activities they were prohibited from doing during Nyepi.

These social activities are complemented by carrying out a wide range of traditional rituals as a community. One of the highlights of this event is that locals will go around asking for forgiveness from each other for wrongs that may have been committed.

Some rituals undertaken include purification during Melasti, harmonisation, and visiting others within the community. Visitors touring Bali during this period may not be directly involved in the rituals that accompany Ngembak Geni, as they are expected to respect the culture and traditions of the locals.