After a month of fasting during the month of Ramadan, Muslims
celebrate the first day of Syawal which is the tenth month of the
Muslim calendar with joyous enthusiasm. This is a major festival
for Muslims and they usher in the day with prayers in mosques and
remembering their departed loved ones. It is also the time for
family reunion when members of the family from different parts of
the country get together. Special festival dishes are served for
festivals and friends during "open house". The festival
mood is reflected is brightly decorated homes, government and
commercial buildings. Homes are also lit with all lamps at the
entrance in keeping with a long established tradition.
This is the most important festival of the Chinese community and
it facts a full two weeks! It begins with a reunion dinner which
is traditional for every member of the family to attend. Chinese
New Year is the time when spirits are appeared and offerings are
made to Gods. It is a boisterous festival with the clang of
cymbals accompanying lion dances and the thunder of firecrackles
filling the air. Guests are entertained to a variety of sumptuous
food and drinks and the unmarried youngsters are given Ang Pows -
gifts of money enclosed in little red packets. Major hotels and
shopping complexes celebrate the occasion by holding lion dances
and special Chinese programmers to entertain their clients.
Harvest Festival
The Kadazans of Sabah celebrate their Harvest
Festival in a grand scale as rice is not a staple food to them,
but also a symbol of reverence in their many traditional and
ritual practices. However, the festival is not just celebrated as
a solemn and spiritual exercise but with great pomp and festive
merry-making. The fun gets merrier with the drinking of the
inevitable tapai which is an alcoholic drink made from rice wine.
Apart from these, there are also organised agriculture shows,
buffalo races, cultural perfomances and traditional games as part
and parcel of the festive celebrations.
The Gawai Dayak festival is celebrated by the Dayaks of Sarawak
who live in longhouses. Being one of the major festivals of the
community, it is celebrated on a grand scale and lasts for a
week. The Gawai Dayak festival marks the transitional period
between the season of rice harvesting and the new planting
season. Hence, it is a reason of thanksgiving for the bountiful
harvest and also a time to rest from work before the new planting
season. Preparations for the festival include the sprucing up of
the longhouse, clearing the gravesites of ancestors and the
preparation of rice wine and lemang (glutimous rice). During the
festival week, the Dayaks dress in their traditional costumes.
The sound of boisterous laughter, convival talk, drinking,
dancing and merry-making will echo relentlesstly all through the
days of this exotic and colourful festival.
is a Buddhist festival. It is the most important of all Buddhist
celebrations. It is a day of prayers, offerings, chanting and
alms-giving. The festival highlights the three sinificiant events
in the life of Lord Buddha. They are ; his birthday, his
enlightenments and the achievement of Nirvana. On this day,
Buddhist devotees attend services in temples throughout the
country. Talks on Buddhism are also given to the disciples of
Buddha. In the state of Malacca, a galastyle procession, complete
with decorated floats, marching bands and acrobatic ats pass
through the streets at night. Unlike most other Malaysian
festivals, Wesak is celebrated on a spiritual note, minus the
loud feasting and merrymaking.
Falling in late January or early February as determined by the Hindu calendar, Thaipusam is a celebration of the birthday of Lord Subramaniam, also known as Lord Muruga. On the eve of Thaipusam, a statue of Lord Subramaniam is taken for a procession on a chariot drawn by bullocks. The next day, devotees carrying kavadis throng Hindu Temples amidst chanting and drumming. A kavadi is either a metal or wooden arch with elaborate decorations, which is placed on the devotee's shoulder. Hooks of spikes extend from the kavadi to various parts of the devotee's body. Thaipusam is celebrated on a big scale in the states of Selangor, Pulau Pinang, Negeri Sembilan and Perak.
This is a Hindu festival of light. Homes of Hindus are lit with little lights to signify the victory over darkness for the Hindus believe that this is the day when the forces of good overcame the forces of evil. Deepavali is a major festival of the Hindus and on the eve prayers are held both at home and in the temples. Hindus take a traditional oil bath in the early hours of the morning on Deepavali day and after prayers entertain their friends and guests to "open house".
The birth of Christ is celebrated by Christians in Malaysia in the true traditional style. Most Christians homes are decorated with festoon and coloured lights and the Christmas tree is a must! Young Christians go carolling days before Christmas day to usher in the Yuletide spirit. Churches hold midnight masses on the eve of Christmas. The festival is celebrated on a national scale in Malaysia and Christians hold "open house" to entertain their friends and colleagues.
On the 31st of August 1957, Malaysia gained its independence from British rule. Annually on this day the nation's citizens celebrate Merdeka (which means independence). Merdeka Day celebrations in Malaysia is participated by one and all, the old and the young, with the great sense of patriotism to the king and the country. It is a gala affair, filled with pomp and pageantry. Grand celebrations are held all over the nation, marked by parades, processions, stage performances, competitions and fascinating fireworks display. In Kuala Lumpur, where the major events of the celebrations take place, the Merdeka Square becomes the focal point where the various races, corporate citizens, government bodies and other communities joins hands with the King, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet members in a show of solidarity and national unity.
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