Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated by Dayaks in Sarawak and West Kalimantan
which is officially public holidays on 31 May and 1 June every year in
Sarawak, Malaysia. It is both a religious and social occasion.
The word Gawai means a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective name for the native ethnic
groups of Sarawak and neighboring Indonesian Kalimantan who are the Iban also known previously as Sea Dayak and the Bidayuh people also known as Land Dayak and the Orang Ulu (inclusive of Kayans, Kenyahs, Lun Bawangs, etc.). Thus, Gawai Dayak literally means "Dayak Festival".
groups of Sarawak and neighboring Indonesian Kalimantan who are the Iban also known previously as Sea Dayak and the Bidayuh people also known as Land Dayak and the Orang Ulu (inclusive of Kayans, Kenyahs, Lun Bawangs, etc.). Thus, Gawai Dayak literally means "Dayak Festival".
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| One of Iban costume for women (Ngepan) |
The Dayaks are the indigenous people of Borneo. Dayak is a generic
term for over 200 riverine and
hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups which are
located principally in the interior of Borneo. They have their own
dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common
distinguishing traits are readily identifiable. Dayak languages are
categorized as part of the Austronesian languages in Asia. The Dayaks
were animist and paganistic in belief; however most converted to
Christianity recently. Estimates for the Dayak population range from 2
to 4 million.
The idea for Gawai Dayak started war back in 1957 in a radio forum
held by Tan Kingsley and Owen Liang, a radio programme organiser. This
generated a lot of interest among the Dayak community. Up till 1962, the British
colonial government refused to recognize the Dayak Day but instead
called it the Sarawak Day. Gawai Dayak was formally gazetted on 25
September 1964 as a public holiday in place of Sarawak Day after
the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. It was first celebrated on 1
June 1965 and became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for the
Dayak community. Today, it is an integral part of the Dayak social life.
It is a thanksgiving day marking a bountiful harvest and a time to plan
for the new farming season or other endeavors ahead.
Dayak would visit their friends and relatives on this day. Such visit is more commonly known as "ngabang" in the Iban language.
Those too far away to visit would receive greeting cards or wishing
gawai greetings via radio broadcasting in this modern time. If there is a
formal invitation to visit, the guest welcoming (ngalu pengabang)
procession will be performed by the inviting longhouse.
Dayak Ceremony
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