Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak

Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated in Sarawak on 1 June every grade. It is two a religious and social occasion. The volume Gawai means a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective relate for the native ethnic groups of Sarawak (and neighboring Ind nonpareilsian Kalimantan) the Iban, also known as ocean Dayak and the Bi solar dayuh people, also known as add Dayak. Thus, Gawai Dayak literally means Dayak Festival. Dayak would take down their friends and relatives on this day. Such chew up is more than commonly known as ngabang in the Iban language.Those too far away to consider would receive greeting cards. It started back in 1957 in a radio assemblage held by Mr Ian Kingsley, a radio political platform organiser. This generated a lot of interest among the Dayak residential area of interests. The dash of celebration varies from place to place. Preparation starts early. Tuak (rice wine) is brewed (at to the lowest degree one month forrader the celebra tion) and conventional delicacies like penganan (cakes from rice flour, sugar and coconut milk) be prepargond. As the big day approaches, everyone go away be busy with normal cleaning and preparing food and cakes.On Gawai Eve, pasty rice is steamed in bamboo (ngelulun pulut). In the longhouse, new-sprung(prenominal) mats testament be displace out on the ruai (an open bearing which runs through the entire length of the longhouse). The walls of intimately bilik (rooms) and the ruai are decorated with Pua Kumbu (traditional blankets). A visit to clean the graveyard is also conducted and offerings offered to the dead. afterward the visit it is important to bathe before entering the longhouse to ward off foul luck. The celebration starts on the evening of 31 May.In most Iban longhouses, it starts with a watching outcryed Muai Antu Rua (to cast away the ticker of greed), signifying the non-interference of the face of bad luck in the celebration. twain children or men eac h force a chapan (winnowing basket) will pass each familys room. Every family will throw most unwanted article into the basket. The unwanted articles will be tossed to the ground from the end of the longhouse for the spirit of bad luck. Around 6 pm or as the sun sets, miring (offering ceremony) will take place. Before the ceremony, gendang rayah (ritual practice of medicine) is performed.The Feast antique give thankss the gods for the good harvest-home, and asks for guidance, blessings and long animateness as he waves a cockerel everyplace the offerings. He past sacrifices the cockerel and a little blood is used together with the offerings. one clock the offering ceremony is done, dinner is then served at the ruai. Just before midnight, a procession up and down the ruai cardinal times called Ngalu Petara (welcoming the spirit gods) is performed. During this procession, a truelove pageant to choose the festivals queen and pansy (Kumang & Keling Gawai) is sometimes c onducted.Meanwhile, drinks, traditional cakes and delicacies are served. At midnight, the gong is beaten to call the celebrants to attention. The longhouse chief (tuai rumah) or Festival Chief will lead everyone to drink the Ai Pengayu (normally tuak for long life) and at the same time wish each other gayu-guru, gerai-nyamai (long life, wellness and prosperity). The celebration now turns merrier and less formal. round will dance to the traditional music played, others will sing the pantun (poems). In urban areas, Dayaks will organise gatherings at community centres or restaurants to celebrate the evening.Other activities that may follow the next few old age include cock-fighting matches, and blowpipe and ngajat competitions. On this day, 1 June, homes of the Dayaks are opened to visitors and guests. Traditionally, when guests arrive at a longhouse, they are given the ai tiki as a welcome. From time to time, guests are served tuak. This would be called nyibur temuai which literall y means watering of guests. Christian Dayaks normally attend a church mass service to thank God for the good harvest. Gawai Dayak celebrations may run low for several days.It is also during this time of year that many Dayak weddings take place, as it is one of the rare occasions when all the members of the community return home to their ancestral longhouse. Up till 1962, the British colonial governance refused to recognise Dayak Day. Gawai Dayak was formally gazetted on 25 September 1964 as a normal holiday in place of Sarawak Day. It was stolon celebrated on 1 June 1965 and became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for the Dayak community. Today, it is an organic part of Dayak social life. It is a approving day marking good harvest and a time to plan for the new farming season or activities ahead.