Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak

Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak is a festival keep ond in Sarawak on 1 June every year. It is both a unearthly and favorable occasion. The word Gawai mean a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective see for the native ethnic groups of Sarawak (and neighboring Indonesian Kalimantan) the Iban, in like manner know as Sea Dayak and the Bi daylightuh people, likewise known as Land Dayak. Thus, Gawai Dayak literally means Dayak festival. Dayak would visit their fri sacks and relatives on this day. Such visit is to a greater extent commonly known as ngabang in the Iban language.Those similarly far forth to visit would receive salutation cards. It started back in 1957 in a receiving set forum held by Mr Ian Kingsley, a radio computer program organiser. This generated a lot of interest among the Dayak lodge. The mode of celebration varies from place to place. Preparation starts early. Tuak (rice wine) is brewed (at least one calendar month before the celebration) and tradition al delicacies like penganan (cakes from rice flour, shekels and coconut milk) are prepared. As the big day approaches, everyone leave be busy with general cleanup spot and preparing food and cakes.On Gawai Eve, glutinous rice is sloshed in bamboo (ngelulun pulut). In the foresightfulhouse, novel mats will be laid out on the ruai (an open gallery which runs through the entire length of the longhouse). The walls of most bilik (rooms) and the ruai are decorated with Pua Kumbu (traditional blankets). A visit to clean the necropolis is also conducted and offers offered to the dead. After the visit it is important to bath before entering the longhouse to ward off poisonous luck. The celebration starts on the evening of 31 May.In most Iban longhouses, it starts with a ceremony called Muai Antu Rua (to cast away the spirit of greed), signifying the non-interference of the spirit of bad luck in the celebration. Two children or men all(prenominal) pull a chapan (winnowing basket) will pass each familys room. either family will throw some 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 payoff place. Before the ceremony, gendang rayah (ritual melody) is performed.The Feast old geezer thanks the gods for the bang-up harvest, and asks for guidance, b littleings and long life as he waves a cockerel over the offerings. He then sacrifices the cockerel and a subatomic blood is used together with the offerings. Once the offering ceremony is done, dinner is then served at the ruai. right before midnight, a procession up and cut down the ruai seven times called Ngalu Petara (welcoming the spirit gods) is performed. During this procession, a dish aerial pageant to choose the festivals queen and king (Kumang & Keling Gawai) is sometimes conducted.Meanwhile, drinks, traditional cakes and delicacies are ser ved. At midnight, the gong is beat 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, health and prosperity). The celebration now turns merrier and less formal. Some 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 fewer days 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 literally means watering of guests. Christian Dayaks normally attend a church mass service to thank god for the right-hand(a) harvest. Gawai Dayak celebrations may last 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 work on 1962, the British colonial government refused to recognise Dayak Day. Gawai Dayak was formally gazetted on 25 September 1964 as a public holiday in place of Sarawak Day. It was archetypical celebrated on 1 June 1965 and became a symbolism of unity, aspiration and hope for the Dayak community. Today, it is an integral part of Dayak social life. It is a thanksgiving day marking good harvest and a time to plan for the new farming season or activities ahead.