Holidays and festivals

Festivals in East Malaysia

Besides those celebrated throughout the Try, Sabah and Sarawak have their festivals. Exact gates can be procured he tourist offices in the capitals.

Kadazan Harvest Festival or Tadau keamatan (movable. public nobody and Labuan only) marks the end of harvest in Sabah; the magavau performed to nurse the spirit back in readiness for the next planting traditionally, the ritual world we been performed in the paddy field by a bobohizan (high priestess). Celebrate a with feasting, tapai (rice wine) ;arcing and general merry-making. There are also agricultural show buffalo races, cultural performances and traditional games. The sumazal dance is one of the highlight the festivities.

Gawai (moveable. public holiday Sarawak only) is the major festival of the tan of 5arawak; longhouses continuously for a week. The Gawai celebrate the end of the rice harvest and the planting season. The ritual is called magavau and nurses grain back to health in advance of the planting season like the festival In Sabah, visitors

Are welcome to join in, but in Sarawak, the harvest festival is much more traditional. On the first day of celebrations everyone dresses up in traditional costumes, singing, dancing and drinking tuak rice wine until they drop.

Gawai Burung (Sarawak) is biggest of all the gawais and honours the war god of the loans. Gawai Kenyalang is one stage of Gawai Burung and is celebrated only after a tribesman has been instructed to do so after a dream.

Gawai Antu (Sarawak), also known as Gawai Nyunkup or Rugan, is an iban tribute to departed spirits. in simple terms, it is a party to mark the end of mourning for anyone whose relative had died in the previous six months.

Gawai Batu (Sarawak) is a whetstone feast held by than farmers in June.

Gawai MpijongJaran Rantau (Sarawak) is celebrated by the Bidnyuh before grass cutting In new paddy fields.

Gawai Bineh (Sarawak) is an than festival celebrated after harvest It welcomes back all the spirits of the paddy from the fields

Gawai Sawa (movable) is celebrated by the Bidayuh in Sarawak to offer thanksgiving for the lost year and to make the next year a plentiful one.

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