Omed-Omedan (Kissing Ritual)

Known as the kissing ritual, Omed-omedan is celebrated on the day after Nyepi (the silent day) to welcome the Saka new year. Exclusive to Sesetan Village, Denpasar, the bachelors and bachelorettes aged 17-30 of Sesetan gather on the area’s main street for a one-of-a-kind celebration.

Divided into two groups (men vs women), they will take position and face each other; at a given signal, both sides will approach the centre of the street, and male participants will pull and kiss (sometimes forcefully) the female participants while the rest of the villagers in the audience pour buckets of water over them. It is said to be a celebration of fertility.