Malaysia Festivals

Malaysia - Land of Festivals!
Anyone visiting Malaysia for the

first time would not cease to be
amazed by the number of
festivals and events that are
happening the whole year around.
Malaysia, with its mix of ethnic
races which include Malays,
descendants of the Bugis and
Javanese, Chinese, Indian and
others, features a colourful
potpourri of cultural traditions.
Many of these traditions are
expressed through the festivals
that take place the whole year
round!
Major festivels of
Malaysia include
Hari Raya
Aidilfitri
After a month of
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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. The festival
mood is with joyous enthusiasm.
Special festival dishes are served
for festivals and friends during
"open house". The festival mood
is reflected is brightly decorated
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homes, government and

commercial buildings. Homes are
also lit with all lamps at the
entrance in keeping with a long
established tradition.
Chinese New Year

This is the most
important festival of the Chinese
community and it lasts for a full
two weeks! It begins with a
reunion dinner which is traditional
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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 fire
crackles 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.
4
Deepavali
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
5
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.
Christmas
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
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Christmas. The festival is

celebrated on a national scale in
Malaysia and Christians hold
"open house" to entertain their
friends and colleagues.
Thaiponggol
In Malaysia, Thaiponggol is a
harvest festival celebrated out of
season because it is fixed in the
Hindu calendar. Tamils celebrate
this festival around the second
week of January. While it is still
dark, farmers rise and cook some
of the newly harvested grain.
Ponggol is the presentation of the
cooked harvested grain to the sun
at dawn.
However, for urban families, this
ritual has been adapted to their
9
own living conditions. Here the

family rises, bathes and gets
dressed before dawn. This is done
without the use of any form of
light. When everyone is ready,
wearing their best clothes, they
assemble around a display of
fruits and flowers. Only then are
lamps lit.
10
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Penang International Dragon

Boat Festival
The Penang's first Dragon Boat
Race was held in 1956 to
celebrate the 100th Anniversary
of the Municipality of George
Town. 10 years later the race was
revived as part of the Pesta Pulau
Pinang. The Pesta races was
12
originally confined to participation

from the local teams such as
teams from Government
Department, associations and
commercial establishments.
However, in 1979, the boat
festival became an international
tourism carnival with 2
participation from overseas,
Singapore and Hong Kong.
The Penang International Dragon
Boat Festival has participating
teams all over the world include
Australia, New Zealand, Denmark,
Norway, Macau, Thailand, Japan,
Britain, West Germany, USA and
others.
13
National Water Festival

Water resource plays an
important role in the sociocultural and economic
development of the Malaysian
society. Apart from functioning as
a communication system, an
economic, resource and
determinant of early settlement
pattern of the Malaysian society,
it had also been a place where
14
families carried out their

recreational activities in the past.
Therefore, water resource in
whatever form should be
protected, valued and utilized to
the maximum.
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 performances and
traditional games as part and
parcel of the festive celebrations.
15
Gawai Dayak
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. The sound of
boisterous laughter, convivial talk,
drinking, dancing and merrymaking will echo relentlessly all
16
through the days of this exotic

and colourful festival.
Nine Emperor Gods Festival

The Festival of the Nine Emperor
Gods falls on the ninth day of the
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ninth moon in the Chinese lunar

calendar. Devotees flock to the
temples throughout the country
for this religious festival. The Nine
Emperor Gods are part of a spiritmedium cult known locally as Jieu
Hwang Yeh. These Nine Deities
are believed to dwell in the stars
in heaven under the reign of
Thien Hou - the Queen of
Heaven.
A carnival-like atmosphere
pervades the temple throughout
the nine-day festival. During this
period of time, the constant
tinkling of a prayer bell and
chants from the temple priests
are heard. Most devotees stay at
the temple, take vegetarian meals
and recite continuous chanting of
prayer. A procession to send the
Nine Emperor Gods home then
18
takes place to complete the rites

of this religious festival.
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Malaysia Festivals

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Malaysia - Land of Festivals!

Anyone visiting Malaysia for the

fasting during the month of

homes, government and

Chinese New Year

for every member of the family to

and in the temples.Hindus take a

Christmas. The festival is

own living conditions. Here the

Penang International Dragon

originally confined to participation

National Water Festival

families carried out their

through the days of this exotic

Nine Emperor Gods Festival

ninth moon in the Chinese lunar

takes place to complete the rites

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