This week in Bali there are wonderful decorations and festivities all around! This is because it’s Galungan – a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma (good) over adharma (evil). It marks the time when the ancestral spirits visit the Earth for 10 days, and on the 10th day, the Balinese will take part in prayers and give offerings – and the spirits will return to heaven.
During this time, Balinese Hindus perform rituals that are meant to welcome and entertain these returning spirits. They decorate their houses and compounds and offer bountiful sacrifices of food and flowers to the ancestral spirits, expressing gratitude and hopes for protection. These sacrifices are also offered at local temples, which are packed with devotees bringing their offerings.
The whole island sprouts tall bamboo poles called “penjor” – these are usually decorated with fruit, coconut leaves, and flowers, and set up on the right of every residence entrance. At each gate, you’ll also find small bamboo altars set up especially for the holiday, each one bearing woven palm-leaf offerings for the spirits.
Info from http://goseasia.about.com/