Bali Kissing Festival “Omed-Omedan”

On March 8th, thousands of locals in the tiny Balinese village of Banjar Kaja Sesetan, Denpasar gather for the mass kissing ritual festival. A strangely liberal concept for a relatively traditional and conservative society, omed-omedan is a ceremony when boys stay on one side of the road, and girls on the other. The boys then run to the girls, pull them and kiss, while other people in the crowd pour water on them. It is also a form of celebration on the first day after the Saka new year which is known as The Day of Silence. The ceremony usually starts around 2pm. Along with the festival, there will also be a street bazaar with lots of traditional food and crafts. Visitors are welcome to watch this festival.