This document provides information about various cultural festivals celebrated in Malaysia. It begins by discussing the culture of Malaysia as a multi-racial country where the Malays, Chinese, and Indians celebrate their own festivals together. It then provides details on several major festivals, including Gawai celebrated by the Dayak community in Borneo, Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrated by Muslims, Chinese New Year celebrated by the Chinese community, and Deepavali celebrated by Hindus. For each festival, it describes traditions, foods, activities, and the cultural and religious significance. The goal of the document is to educate readers about the diverse yet harmonious cultural celebrations in Malaysia.

1. Malaysian
Cultural
Festivals PREPARED BY: NUR SAMSIAH BINTI MD ALI

2. 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

3. 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

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

6. 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

7. DAYAKS TRADITIONALS
LONGHOUSES

8. 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.

9. TRADITIONALS FOOD OF
SARAWAKIENS

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. OPEN HOUSE HARI RAYA.
Lights of raya lamp and ‘pelita.

15. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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.

20. “ANG POWS’’ TANGERINES
Chinese 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.

23. DEEPAVALI FESTIVALS
Diwali 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

24. 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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READING OUR BLOG !