“The celebrations are not only a sign of gratitude at the end of the harvest season but also a reminder for all citizens to always be thankful for the blessings and fortunes bestowed upon them, according to their respective belief and practices.”– His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
GAYU Guru Gerai Nyamai, Senang Lantang Nguan Menua (Wishing you longevity, wellness and prosperity) to all my Dayak friends.
To all the others, happy holidays, enjoy your long break from the school or office and go and visit your Dayak friends.
Today is the first day of Gawai Dayak, which is celebrated annually in June by the Dayak ethnic groups to mark the end of the rice harvesting season and gratitude for all the blessings, harmony, sustenance and luck they have received.
By now, many celebrants are already home to celebrate the auspicious occasion with their family members. Many young Dayaks are now working in the towns/cities and even other countries. But this Gawai, most will try to be home for the celebration.
Weeks before the celebration, many celebrants would have been busy tidying up and decorating their houses/longhouses, drying and milling padi as well as making ‘tuak’ (rice wine), collecting and preparing food.
The Gawai Dayak celebration varies from place to place, with the three major Dayak communities of Ibans, the Bidayuhs and the Orang Ulus celebrating the event in their own distinctive way.
For the past few weeks, in many parts of the state including Bau, Kapit and Sibu, female beauty pageants and food bazaars had been held as a prelude to Gawai Dayak.
The Indigenous Intellectuals Association of Sarawak (PERANTIS) has lauded these pre-Gawai programmes, adding that they helped to instil a deeper love for the state’s diverse traditions among the younger generation.
“Such initiatives not only highlight the uniqueness of Dayak culture but also reignite pride in our shared heritage.
“Gawai is a manifestation of Malaysia’s cultural richness. It teaches values of togetherness, respect for nature and reverence for our ancestors,” it said.
Last night, the Gawai Dayak celebration would have started in many Iban longhouses at the stroke of midnight with longhouse chiefs (‘tuai rumah’) leading a toast to longevity (ai pengayu) and the new year with a short prayer.
Early today, there will be visits to the graves to honour family members who have passed on.
The celebration continues with the longhouse folk visiting each other, sharing their latest stories and competing in various friendly innovative games organised by the hard working Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK).
Today, most Iban homes, especially longhouses, are open to guests who are welcomed with drinks of ‘tuak’ and traditional home-made cakes and food like ‘ayam pansuh’ (chicken dish cooked in bamboo stalk). Beautiful mats will be laid out on the longhouse gallery (‘ruai’) for visitors to sit on.
In the olden days, most womenfolk in the longhouses would work hard for days or even weeks to make the traditional cakes. However, now because of time constraints or lack of skills, many celebrants will just buy whatever they need.
In the olden days, too, one or two days before Gawai Dayak, express boats and express buses would be crowded with celebrants who tried to be home before the festival.
But now, in many places, the express boats have been replaced by roads and the rivers by bridges, making the journey home more convenient and shorter for the Gawai Dayak celebrants. Many might even be driving their vehicles right to the doorsteps of their longhouses.
While the Gawai Dayak celebration in a longhouse may continue day and night with the holding of drinking, fancy dress and singing competitions at different hours of the day, the open house for those who live in the towns or cities is different. For the latter, after the visitors have gone home, the house is quiet again.
Hence, it is not surprising for many Ibans, the best Gawai Dayak celebration is still the one that is spent in a longhouse. After all, the festival is not only a time for returning home but also for reconnecting with the extended family and honouring cultural roots.
The beautiful longhouse structure, with its ‘ruai’ (verandah) and its ‘bilik’ (private family quarters) provides a unique space for both public celebrations and family gatherings during Gawai.
Recently, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas reminded the Dayak community to avoid wasteful spending and excessive alcohol consumption during the Gawai Dayak festival.
Speaking at Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Kakus’ Ngabang Gawai Bersama Timbalan Premier here, he said the festival should instead be celebrated in a moderate and meaningful manner.
Gawai, he pointed out, was traditionally a time for family and friends to come together in thanksgiving and to share joy.
Uggah warned that the celebration should not be reduced to drinking sessions that might harm one’s health and wellbeing.
“It is not just about excessive drinking. What’s more important is strengthening bonds among family members and relatives, especially those who have not seen each other for a long time,” he said.
In his Gawai message yesterday, Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) Chairman, Datuk Danald Jute, also called for a meaningful celebration of Gawai and cautioned against overspending or overindulgence.
Saying the Gawai celebration was an opportunity to foster and strengthen mutual understanding, respect and acceptance among Sarawakians, he encouraged everyone to embrace and join in the Dayak unique tradition of ‘ngabang’ or open house.
Before I conclude, ‘Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai, Senang Lantang Nguan Menua’ once again to all my Dayak friends and ‘happy holidays’ to the others.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
