Gawai Dayak

GAWAI DAYAK FESTIVAL

Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated by Dayaks (Iban) in Sarawak and west Kalimantan which is oficially public holidays on 31 May and 1 Jun 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 namee for  the native ethnic groups of Sarawak and neighbouring Indonesian Kalimantan who are the Iban also known previously as Sea Dayak and the Bidayuh people also known as Land dayak. Thus, Gawai Dayak literally means "Dayak Festival". 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. Today, it is an integral oart of the Dayak social life. It is a thanksgicing 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) precession will be performed by the inviting longhouse.