Entry about Gawai Festival celebrated at my homevillage..
Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated in Sarawak on 1 June every year. 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: the Iban, also known as Sea Dayak and the Bidayuh people, also known as Land Dayak.
At midnight, the gong is beaten 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).
xtvt karoake..after drink 'ai pengayu'
Such visit is more commonly known as "ngabang" in the Iban language.
2nd Jun...'ngalu pengabang' from Taba village
Some will dance to the traditional music played, poco-poco,nyumpit n 'lumba perau'
** 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.
that's all
me,
