Soma Ribek

Soma Ribek is a key festival in Bali commonly referred to as Soma Pon Wuku Sprott. The festival is all about appreciating food and occurs every 210 days.

It is an obvious fact that food is an integral part of daily life and the Balinese Hindus seek to show their gratitude for the availability of food on the island.

Since rice is the staple food in Bali, it is quite obvious why this would be the symbolic offering of choice. To mark Soma Ribek, locals will stop grinding, pounding or selling rice in honour of this day. The locals thank God for the food available in their lives and pray to Dewi Sri (the Goddess of prosperity) to give prosperity.

The feast is closely tied to the Saraswati Feast. As a result, there are divine teachings that the devout locals will adhere to. These teachings will involve gaining knowledge about sustaining life with rice and rice products and this is key for the community because the abundance of rice symbolises prosperity in the community.

The offerings, divine teachings and symbolic acts are a fundamental part of Soma Ribek. While foreigners should not take part in the rituals, it is important that they respect the customs of the day, including understanding the unavailability of rice in some areas.