Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Omed-Omedan ( Kissing Festival )


Omed-omedan or Kissing festival is an unique festival held in Denpasar Bali. Kissing Festival performed by youngster in Banjar Kaja, Sesetan -Denpasar. The word Banjar mean a gathering point. Kissing festival held one day after The Silent day or one years. This festival held with Ngembak Geni ceremony. The word of Omed-Omedan taken by Balinese word it's means pull each other. The participant of Kissing festival come from youngster people start 17 - 30 year's old and never got marred. The Kissing festival start with praying together in a temple, after this ceremony, all participant will divide with 2 group, there are the boy's group and girl's group. The Kissing festival held on the main road of Sesetan, Denpasar. each group will choice one person to be a representative and raise them. each group will meeting and will kiss each other to keep the situation never going hot, the other people  there will flush the representative with water. The goal is for safety and health for those who participate in this tradition, as well as repellent reinforcements for the local village.


The Kissing festival in story

The origin kissing festival event come from a old story. Long  time ago the king of Oka Great House being sick, there is no medicine and there is no tabib ( traditional doctor ) can make the king to be healthy. The day after the silent day, the citizenry held this unique ceremony, that's make the king getting angry and than the king want to see and stop this ceremony, but at time , the king see the ceremony, the king directly never ill again. So that make the king make a command that the citizenry must held the Kissing festival every years after silent day.  

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