Malaysian Cultural

Festivals PREPARED BY: NUR SAMSIAH BINTI

MD ALI

This blog is created for our final project of subject Introduction Information Technology For Preschool Education. In our project we need to make a research in a various cultures ethnics in Malaysia especially the traditions, languages and so many others. Our groups for this blog are Nor Illy Syazana Binti Hizan, Nur Samsiah Binti Md Ali, Yaashree A/P Krishanan and Anne Selliyana Anak Dungik. We were a students from Management And Science University and this was our final project for the subject Introduction IT For Preschool this first semester. We do hope so we will give a useful knowledge for all and thank you for spend time reading this blog.

Prepared by: Anne Selliyana ak Dungik

WHAT IS THE CULTURE IN MALAYSIA?

Malaysia is a country which taught you to recognize colors, in a way living harmony and enrich culture lifestyles in variety of race, primarily in Malays, Chinese and Indians .Different race has own unchangeable skin color, but each of special elements merged into greatest “the sense of sight”, also enlighten it’s special become wonderful color, perhaps should called it as beautiful rainbow.

If you check on Malaysia year calendar, there are around 8 major festivals indicated in year calendar as public holiday, allowing all race of Malaysian people enjoy full capacity of holiday, either celebrating their own race or religious festival, but also excited to enjoy other races traditional celebration days.

The unique way of Malaysians celebrate festivals is also a significant cultural events in the multi-cultural country, you may able to get a glimpse of Chinese wear traditional Malay costume “Baju Kurung” in Hari Raya Aidilfitri, or Malay female dressing Cheongsam dress in Chinese new year dining with Chinese and Indians as well, it called cultural melting pot instead of cultural assimilation, because any one of race in Malaysia continue their race and religious inheritance. Therefore, most of the festivals in Malaysia remark different race of cultural and religious uniqueness.Following of top ten famous festivals in Malaysia bring you to experience vibrant tour in Malaysia.

Prepared by: Nur samsiah Binti Md Ali

CULTURES OF DAYAK IN BORNEO( PREPARED BY ANNE SELLIYANA AK DUNGIK )

DO YOU KNOW????????The Dayak community staying true to tradition, celebrates Gawai, or

the end of harvest festivals.This involved mainly Sarawakians studying and working in Peninsular Malaysia, those abroad and those in urban areas returning home for an annual festivals.

June 1 and 2 have been gazetted as public holidays for the Gawai Festivals in the Land of the Hornbills. In the past, the Dayaks eked a living as paddy farmers. Many still do to today and in keeping with tradition,if a harvest is bountiful, a month long celebration will followto thank the paddy spirits.

Prepared by Anne Selliyana Ak Dungik

DAYAKS TRADITIONALS LONGHOUSES

PREPARED BY ANNE SELLIYANA AK DUNGIK

In the most places, especially the longhouses in the rural areas, Gawai is celebrated with much pageantry and is steeped in religious rituals. Gawai revellers would perform rituals to thank the gods for the bountiful harvest and seek greater blessings for the years.

TRADITIONALS FOOD OF SARAWAKIENS

Despite rapid development and modernisation many traditional Gawai activities are still carried out, including the serving of “Tuak” a wine made from fermented rice and usually made by the womenfolk in the longhouses weeks prior to the festivals. Traditional foods will also be prepared for the two-day celebration. “Ayam Pansuh” a chicken cooked in bamboo and “Umai” the fish that been marinated for one week served fish fresh lime , apart from traditional cakes and cookies.

Prepared by Anne Selliyana Ak Dungik

FOUNDER OF DAYAKS CULTURES

Tun Jugah Foundation senior researcher Janang Ensiring said Gawai Festivals had become merrier. He attributed this to the cultural and harmony aspects nurtured and inculculated by the Dayak community in the younger generations. Prepared By Anne Selliyana Ak Dungik

HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI IN MALAYSIA

Hari Raya literally means ‘celebration day’, and Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the day that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of dawn-to-sunset fasting. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is considered one of the two most important celebrations for Muslims.

Hari Raya is one of the biggest holidays in Malaysia, and many Muslims (and even non-muslims) return to their family home (balik kampong) driving or flying home for a couple of day before the day to be with their familis and loved ones. There are often jams during this travelling time but these soon resolve as other travellers reach their destinations.

Prepared by: Nor Illy Syazana Binti Hizan

Hari Raya Aidilfitri sees families and friends seeking forgiveness from each other, visiting ancestors’ graves, saying prayers at the mosque and visiting relatives and friends to feast traditional malay delicacies like ketupat, rendang, satay, lemang and curry. In Malaysia, children are given token sums of money from their parents or elders.

The Ramadan period has communal aspects to it with many of the basic values of the Muslim community, such as empathy for the poor, charity, worship, steadfastness and patience being expressed more during this period.

Prepared by: Nor Illy Syazana Binti Hizan

OPEN HOUSE HARI RAYA.

Lights of raya lamp and ‘pelita.

During Ramadan, decorations of kampong houses, ketupats, oil lamps and colourful lights decorate big malls like Mid Valley, 1 Utama, Pavilion, Sunway Pyramid and the Curve. Little shops also are decorated in the lead-up.

Sunway Pyramid raya decoration. Prepared by:Nor Illy Syazana

CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVALS

Chinese New Year is perhaps the biggest and most important annual festival for Chinese and the Chinese communities world wide. The event is celebrated on the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Each year is named after one of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Prior to celebrations, homes are cleaned and decorated by members of the family. Debts are also settled while offerings and prayers are made. Also, plenty of food is prepared and new clothes are purchased. Like any other event, family members from out of town and far away will come home for the gathering.

Prepared by: Nur Samsiah Binti Md. Ali

Also known by the name of Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, the event is observed by the Chinese communities throughout the world, regardless of where they are. It is a cultural event and can a religious one too for the Buddhists, Confucians and Taoists who offer prayers. As the festival approaches, friends and relatives still exchange New Year greeting cards with each other despite the technology era. A family reunion dinner will be held on the eve of the New Year. During this time, bad language and any unpleasant or sensitive topic is strictly discouraged. It’s always best to be in one’s good behavior and only say good and auspicious things.

Prepared by: Nur Samsiah Md Ali

On Chinese New Year day, everyone is abuzz with various activities, including decorating with duilian (a pair of scrolls with poetry written), giving red packets or angpau or ang pow containing money, visiting friends and families, having family meals and gatherings, playing cards with small bets of money and watching dragon or lion dances. While each country may celebrate the New Year in an almost similar way, the concept of open house is normally practiced in Malaysia where the homes are open for friends and family to visit, regardless of race and religion.

“ANG POWS’’ TANGERINESChinese New Year is celebrated for fifteen days with the main

focus on the first three days. Chap Goh Mei, or the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year, is once again celebrated with much enthusiasm. Homes are again decked in brightly decorated lights and legend has it that young and unmarried women could throw tangerines into the sea if they wish to get a good husband. Men in boats will then row over and fish out the oranges! The singles carry out this practice good-naturedly and have fun with their friends on that final night of the New Year celebrations. Once Chap Goh Mei has passed, daily life resumes with each hoping to have a prosperous year ahead.

STIRRING THE YEE SANG

DEEPAVALI FESTIVALSDiwali is also known as Deepavali, Dipavali, Dewali, Deepawali or the Festival

of Lights. It is celebrated on the 15th day of Kartika (October/November) in the Hindu calendar. Diwali celebrations can last for about five days.

There are several different legendary backgrounds for Deepavali celebrations in the Hindu writings. One story tells of how Rama returned to reclaim his throne after a 14-year banishment. Because the night when he returned was exceptionally dark, the people of his city lit clay lamps at all their houses, thus lighting the path as he made his way to his throne. Others see Deepavali as a time to honour Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity and light clay lamps at their homes so she can find them and bless them. Either way, the clay lamps which you see lighting up homes and businesses during Deepavali are the reason it is also known as “the Festival of Lights.” The more abstract meaning of the festival is a symbolic display of the triumph of light (good) over darkness (evil). Prepared by : Yaashree A/P Krishanan

Hindus traditionally rise early on Deepavali, in the wee hours of the morning to prepare for the day. First of all, they take a ritually prescribed herbal oil bath, which is meant to represent the washing away of one’s past sins. A family prayer service will then often be held in homes, and some will also go to a local temple for additional rituals and acts of worship.

Houses are decorated with colour-paper lanterns and with “kolam” this time of year. Kolam refers to intricate, temporary floor designs made out of dyed rice and colourful powders. Kolam take much practice to perfect, and you will appreciate the ones you see inside shopping malls and other public places. If possible, try to “get invited” inside a Hindu house to view the beautiful kolam patterns. Since Deepavali is a time for open houses among Hindus, they will probably invite you before you can even ask. Prepared By: Yaashree A/P Krishanan

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