CELEBRATIONS IN MALAYSIA

Hari Raya Aidilfitri is celebrated by the Malay community in Malaysia. The day begins with Muslims praying in mosques early in the morning followed by visiting the graveyards of loved ones. In Malaysia, many Muslims hold open houses for relatives and friends of all races. Homes are brightly lit with lamps and lights during this celebration.

Chinese New Year is the first day of the year according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It is a custom for Chinese to clean or even paint their houses before the new year. On that day, they will visit each other and it is customary to give mandarin oranges during a visit, as a token of good luck and prosperity.

Married couples are obliged to give red packets filled with money to children of relatives or friends. The New Year celebrations traditionally extend to 15 days, where the 15th day is the Chap Goh Meh festival.

Deepavali and Thaipusam are celebrated mainly by the Hindus and largely Indian community. Deepavali or Diwali is the Festival of Lights which celebrated in October or November. During Thaipusam, Hindus pay homage to Lord Muruga.

Gawai Festival is the time when the native, Dayaks of Sarawak mark the end of the rice harvest and ushers in another year of bountiful goodness. Dayak is a collective name for all the native races in Sarawak, which are, the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Murut and others.

Locals dress in traditional costumes while the elders perform traditional rites. This party and continuous celebrations is throughout the month of June.

The Kaamatan Festival is an annual event in the cultural life of the Kadazandusuns of Sabah. The festival is a celebration of Inter-Creations relationship; it embodies appeasing, purification and restoration of spirits, and thanksgiving to the Creator.

The word Kaamatan is derived from the root word tomot, a Kadazandusun term for harvest. Kaamatan here refers to the paddy-harvesting period.