Truly, Malaysia Is A Nation of Celebrations!

Malaysians love to celebrate everything in life. The fact that our society is a
hotpot of vibrant cultural diversity and religious tolerance makes it obvious that
many Malaysian celebrations evolve around these rich traditions.

Two things about celebrations in Malaysia should be noted. Firstly, almost all
celebrations are open to all, free for all to attend! Secondly, unlike many
western celebrations, such as Christmas, most Malaysian celebrations have no
fixed dates on the Georgian calendar, as they are based on the lunar or Islamic
calendar.

So, if you ask a Malaysian Chinese what date the coming Chinese Lunar New
Year falls on, he will probably scratch his head to ponder. It is advisable to
check the ‘local’ Malaysian calendar for the exact dates.

HARI RAYA PUASA

Today is the first day of Ramadhan. We are going to fast for a month. We
celebrate Hari Raya Puasa in Syawal at our grandparents’s village. We will
decorate their house with colourful lights before the celebrations. In the
morning, we go to mosque for the prayers. Then our family and friends will
visit us. We will serve them with ‘ketupat’ and ‘rendang’. In the night, we will
sit together and enjoy all the delicious cakes and cookies and play fireworks.

DEEPAVALI

Deepavali is my favourite festivals of all time. It is all about food and lights.
The celebrations and preparation will start up a week before Deepavali. We
clean up the house and put up new curtain. We will make traditional cakes,
sweet delicacies, biscuits and other special treats. We start the day with an oil
bath and wear on new clothes. We visit temple in the morning to get blessings
from God. We decorate the clay lamps and light them. In the night we light up
‘deepams’ and play fireworks.

THAIPUSAM
Thaipusam is the second largest Hindu festival in Malaysia and is celebrated in
honour of Lord Subramaniam, also known as Lord Murugan. It is an annual
Hindu festival, observed on the day of the first full moon during the Tamil
month of Thai, which falls in late January or February.

To mark this day of penance and thanksgiving, Hindus pierce their body with
metal skewers and carry pots of milk on their heads along a four-kilometre
procession. Piercing of the skin, tongue or cheeks with skewers is common
among male devotees but only occasionally done by female devotees. Devotees
prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer, celibacy,
and fasting for 48 days before the festival.

KAAMATAN HARVEST FESTIVAL

This native festival of Kadazan-Dusun, Sabah’s largest ethnic group is

essentially a celebration to thank the holy spirits for a bountiful harvest making
it to the list of famous festivals in Malaysia. Padi farmers congregate to honour
‘Bambaazon’, the spirit of rice padi through traditional rites and customs
followed by festivities. The headquarters of Kadazan Dusun Cultural
Organisation hold ethnic dance performances as well as display of traditional
sports like arm-wrestling, blowpipe shooting etc. Free-flow of Tapai and
Lihing, the local rice wines adds to the spirit and fervour of one of the most
interesting cultural festivals of Malaysia.

GAWAI FESTIVALS

Celebrated by the indigenous Dayak’s race of Swarawak, Malaysia’s largest

state, this Malaysia festival is one of the most important harvest festivals in
Malaysia that begins on 1st June and goes on for a whole month. The Dayak’s
dress in their traditional attire, indulge in a fascinating ceremonial offering and
welcome the New Year with gusto. The best place to witness the celebrations in
their full glory is a longhouse, the traditional Dayak home with over 40 families
residing under the same roof! Traditional dances, feasting and free-flowing tuak
(rice wine) add vigour and charm to the celebrations. No wonder it has a special
place in the list of festivals in Malaysia.

CHRISTMAS

Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. Many

families decorate their houses with lots of fairy lights and sparkling displays. 
They also turn their home into a winter wonderland. A mother will bake some
cookies, bread and many delicious meals. At night, they read a Christmas story
together.

Often the house owners collect donations from visitors to their displays in aid of
local charities. Friends and family are usually visited to exchange gifts.