Yadnya Kasada on Bromo
Image courtesy of Mike Aquino
The Tenggerese who live in the farmlands surrounding Mount Bromo trace their descent to Majapahit-era Hindus who fled to the mountains after the coming of Islam. They believe that their ancestors, a couple named Roro Anteng and Joko Seger, ended years of childlessness by successfully petitioning the gods for children. After 24 children, the gods decreed, the couple had to throw the 25th into the volcano crater as an offering.
Today's Tenggerese do not descend to human sacrifice, but on the 14th day of the Kasada month, they congregate to the Bromo crater to sacrifice other things: money, live chickens, flowers and food. (Non-Hindu locals aren't as reverent; they clamber down the crater to pick up the sacrifices intended for the gods!)
The festival is open to outsiders, but you'll need to stay close to the crater.
Festival date: July 17-18, 2020
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Dieng Culture Festival
Fajrul Islam/Getty Images
The children of the mist-shrouded Dieng plateau in Central Java share a gift from the ancestors: upon reaching a certain age, their straight hair naturally forms into dreadlocks. When this happens, the children wait till August, when their hair is ritually shaven off in a ceremonial collectively called the Ruwatan Anak Gimbal.
For the Dieng locals, the ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate – the 8th-century Dieng Temple complex, the site of the hair shaving ceremony, becomes the focus for several days of feasting, shadow play performances, fireworks, and the release of traditional lanterns.
To add a more modern spin to the party, a film festival also coincides with the traditional festivities.
Festival date: Aug. 2, 2020