The real story
Nyepi is the Balinese Hindu New Year in the Saka calendar, and it starts at 6 a.m. sharp. For 24 hours the island keeps four vows, the Catur Brata Penyepian: no fire or light, no work, no travel and no entertainment. Village guards called pecalang patrol the empty streets, and even tourists have to stay inside their hotels.
The night before is the opposite. Ogoh-ogoh, giant demon effigies of bamboo and papier-mâché, some up to 8 metres tall, are paraded and spun around at crossroads to confuse evil spirits, and many are burned afterwards. The idea is that next morning the spirits come back, find a dark, silent island, decide nobody lives there, and move on.
