That being said, I think it is appropriate to bring focus onto today’s special occasion- Gawai Dayak, a holiday celebrated by the Dayak people native from Sarawak and West Kalimantan, and an occasion that has not gathered much attention unlike other festivities such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, and Deepavali. Rather, the liveliness and excitement of Gawai Dayak celebrations can really only be experienced in Sarawak and West Kalimantan (in Indonesia) itself due to its shield away from the peninsula. In short, Gawai Dayak is a religious and social occasion, a concept that was introduced by a couple of radio producers back in the day, which was taken up by the Dayak people as a day of thanksgiving for a fruitful harvest as well as planning for the next farming season. The three major ethnic groups of the Dayak people consist of the Iban (Sea Dayak), Bidayuh (Land Dayak), and Orang Ulu; however there are many more tribes that once wandered the lands of Borneo.

Pic: Pinterest

Despite the name – “Gawai Dayak” that translates into “Dayak Day” – the celebrations can last up to an entire month! Usually, it starts with the older folks brewing a drink called tuak, which is a type of rice wine that is also used in the miring ceremony, a ritual of thanking the gods and asking for their blessings. Other kinds of food which you’ll find amidst a Hari Gawai celebration are pansoh manok (chicken in bamboo), lulun (a dish comprising meat being cooked inside bamboo logs), roasted pig heads, soups, penganan (cakes made from rice flour, sugar, and coconut milk) and much more. Parades often hype up the people as the days leading up to Hari Gawai start counting down. The capital city of Kuching in Sarawak often hold parades and demonstrations a week before the occasion itself as excitement levels rise and people wait eagerly. Beauty pageants are even known to be held on the eve of Hari Gawai too! The preparation stages of Gawai Dayak are very much done with the community spirit at heart, where people gather and help each other out.

Pic: The Star

On the evening of 31st of May, a ritual known as Muai Antu Rua is performed, which is a practice of casting away the spirit of greediness, carried out by two children or men, each holding a winnowing basket and going through every family’s room in their longhouse while each family discards their unwanted items into the basket. The baskets are then thrown onto the ground at the end of the longhouse, symbolising that any spirits harbouring bad luck are unwelcome during the celebrations. Following that, the miring ceremony then takes place after a performance of gendang rayah (ritual music), whereby the feast chief proceeds to thank the gods for a bountiful harvest as well as ask for their guidance and blessings for a long life. An offering of a sacrificed cockerel is presented to the gods, before families begin to have dinner and chit-chat until midnight.

As midnight strikes, a gong is sounded followed by the tuai rumah ’s duty of leading everyone in the consumption of the Ai Pengayu, which is a tuak for long life, followed by everybody wishing each other a long life, health, and prosperity. A procession to welcome the spirits of good luck then ensues by walking up and down the entire longhouse as the atmosphere becomes livelier with dancing and traditional music being played. Families also sing traditional songs to celebrate this occasion. Later that day, many activities such as cockfighting, blowpipe demonstrations, and dancing competitions will take place. The Gawai festivities will typically continue for several days afterwards, and the homes of the Dayaks will be open for visitors as well during this period, where a custom known as masu pengabang takes place, when guests have to be served tuak by the host before they are allowed into the longhouse. It is also a norm for weddings to take place during this auspicious time. The celebrations only truly end with the closing ceremony consisting of families symbolically rolling up a mirai (miring ceremony mat).

To be honest, one of my motivations for piecing together this article was to allow both myself and you, the reader, to learn about this fascinating and rich aspect of Malaysian culture, by bringing the spotlight onto some of the indigenous people of this nation. Words cannot express how important it is for a nation’s people to not lose their cultural identity, especially in recent times as we are adapting and adopting the cultural and societal norms of other countries into our own lives. It is fundamental that our roots and history, is never forgotten. Mahatma Gandhi himself even expressed that, “a nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people,” a saying that I wholeheartedly agree. After all, the preservation of traditions and customs are much easier than trying to revive something that has been lost. On that note, I sincerely wish a very happy Hari Gawai to all!