Malaysian Festivals

Gawai Dayak is celebrated by the Dayak, which generally refers to the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu, communities in Sarawak (West Malaysia).



This festival was celebrate in mid year on June 1 and 2, though unofficially the festivities begin during the last week of May and continues through mid-June. Usually, the people of many longhouses harvest their rice fields well before the big day and have their own small scale Gawai feast at the end of their harvests.



This harvest festival, gives thanks to the gods and spirits for the bounty of the land. With centuries of tradition behind it, this native ritual involves communication with the spirit world, ancestral worship and feasting with friends and family of the whole community.



“Gawai” means a ritual or festival while “Dayak” is a collective name for the native races in Sarawak namely the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Murut and other ethnic group. A combination of the word “Gawai Dayak” means Dayak Festival. Gawai is an occasion for parties, fun and games, processions and ‘open houses’.