Holidays and festivals

Note that Islamic holidays, which are listed separately Mow may vary significantly their timing during the year. Chinese, Indian (Hindu) and some Christian holidays - also movable. to make things even more exciting, each state has its own public holidays when snaps dose and banks pull down their shutters This makes calculating public holidays in advance a bit of a quagmire of lunar events, assorted king birthdays, and tribal festivals But federal and state public, hoildays, including movable religious holidays, are listed (albeit In Malay) at http://202184.140.111/cuti_ cutiNegri.asp.

School holidays
Schools in Malaysia have five breaks through the year, although the actual dates vary from state to state They generally fall in the months of January (one week), March (two week),May (three weeks) , August(one week), and october (four weeks)
January-February

New Year's Day 1 January, public holiday except johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis – Terenqganu)
Thaipusam (movable public holiday Joiner, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Penang Selangor only, January 2001 celebrated by many Hindus throughout Malays honour of their deity Lord Subramanian (also Known as Lord Muruga): he repressent, bravery, youth and power Held during full moon in the month of Thai, it is a day penance and thanks giving Devotees pay homage to lord Subramanian by their bodies, cheeks and tongues with sharp skewers (vell) and hooks weighted oranges and carrying kevadis (steel structures beating the image of Lord Muruga). are strict rules the devotee must follow in order to purify himself before carryig - kevadis he becomes a vegetarian and abstains from worldly pleasures.

Women carry kevadis as they are not allowed to bare their bodies in order to be pie Although a kevadis carrier can have as many as a hundred spears pierced his flesh only loses a small amount of blood in his trance. Each participant tries to out do others in the severity his torture At certain temples fire-walking is also part of this ceremony Many Hindus disapprove of the spectacle and believe that their bodies - gift from Siva they should serve as a temple for the soul and should not be abuse-, festival is peculiar to Hindus in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand and is a corruption Tamil ceremony from South India, the biggest gatherings are at Bum Caves just KL, when thousand of pilgrims congregate carnival-like atmosphere there are also festivals held in Melaka, Penang and Singapore, Chinese New Year (movable: public holiday, two days it most states one day in Kelantan and terengganu) a 15-days lunar festival celebrated in late January.

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