Culture - Sarawak's Festival

Sarawak has a wealth of festivals, from local versions of those celebrated internationally to a few homegrown ones unique to the State. A feature common to all is "open house" where friends, relatives and even strangers drop into homes from the Governor's residence to the most humble kampung house and are welcomed with food and drink. >> Christmas Since the majority of Sarawak's people are Christians, therefore Christmas is celebrated throughout the State. Unlike the West the festival has not become commercialized and there is no frenzied shopping. Rather it is a religious festival with the emphasis on church and carol services. In many centers there are interdenominational services, some of them held in the open air. >> Hari Raya Islam is Malaysia's State religion and Hari Raya, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan is the most important Muslim festival. For two days Muslims dress in their best, attend prayers at the mosque, give alms to the poor and visit and entertain at open house. Food and presents play a big part in Hari Raya celebrations. Visitors are offered curries and a variety of delicious cakes. Because the date of Hari Raya is determined by the lunar calendar, the Millennium year will see it celebrated twice, once in January and again in late December. >> Chinese New Year Sarawak is no exception with Hokkien, Teochiew, Foochow, Hakka or Kek all marking the most important date in the Chinese calendar. Food plays a big part in the celebration from the family dinners that mark the opening of the festival to the delicacies and cakes served to visitors at open house. Visiting children (and young unmarried people) are given Ang Pow, lucky red packets containing money. Red is everywhere, as the color is deemed auspicious. Lion Dances everywhere, with troupes from the local temple performing acrobatic feats to the sound of drums and cymbals to drive away evil spirits. Starting at the new moon the festival goes on for 15 days to the full moon. Chap go mei, which is the final day, is often called Chinese Valentine's Day for on this day unmarried girls go to the temple to pray for a good husband. >> Gawai Dayak Sarawak's very own festival on 31 May and 1 June marks the end of the rice harvest. During Gawai many urban dwellers return to their ancestral longhouse or village and take part in rituals that go back before recorded time. For days before, the women prepare banquets of traditional food and there is much brewing of tuak, the potent rice wine. This is a time for feasting, dancing and having a good time. It is also a traditional time for weddings and betrothals. Visitors are made welcome and this is the best time to see traditional longhouse life and ceremonies with the women dressed up in their exotic costumes. >> Kaul Celebrated by the Melanau community between mid-March and early April, Kaul is meant to appease the spirits of the sea at the start of the fishing season. These days, most Melanau are Muslim or Christian but the ancient Kaul festival has an enthusiastic following among both. Among the rituals is the launching of miniature wooden boats containing offerings for the sea spirits. The river mouths are closed and boats are not allowed to put out to sea for several days. The festival's highlight is tibou, a high-spirited but dangerous game where young men compete to see how many can swing from the end of a single 10-metre rope. The coastal town of Mukah is the center of the Kaul celebrations.