Trifter

Malaysia is a multiracial country where people from different races live in harmony. That is why when you visit Malaysia, it is pretty likely that you will have a chance to experience on of the many festivals in Malaysia. In this article, I’ll talk briefly about some of the more popular festivals we have in Malaysia.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Date in 2009 : 20 Sept (Sunday) & 21 Sept (Monday)

Hari Raya Puasa is a day to celebrate the fasting month. It’s also known in the Muslim term as Eid ul-Fitr. It is a time for family members and friends to gather around, reconcile and strengthen the relationship among each other. In Malaysia, the non-Muslims are often invited to join in the celebration by visiting their Muslim friends for a feast in their homes.

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Chinese New Year

Date in 2009 : 26 Jan (Monday) & 27 Jan (Tuesday)

Chinese New Year or also known as Lunar New Year is the most important celebration for the Chinese people across the globe. The celebration begins on the first day of the first Lunar month and ends on the 15th day of the same month.

It is said that long time ago, there was a mythical beast called “Nian” (in Chinese) which came to the city on the first day of every year in order to devour livestock, villagers and kids. One day, the creature was scared away upon seeing a kid in red dress. Since then the villagers decided to use a lot of red things and even used fireworks to scare away the creature. That’s why you can expect to see a lot of red color and fireworks during the Chinese New Year celebration.

During this festival, there will be plenty of food, family gathering, mandarin oranges, red packets (a sign of good luck and best wishes), etc.

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Deepavali

Date in 2009 : 17 October (Saturday)

Deepavali or Diwali is a major Hindu festival. It is also known as the “Festivals of Lights” where people light up small lamps in order to signify victory over the evil within an individual. On the Hindu calendar, this festival falls on the new moon day which ends the month of Asvina and begins the month of Kartika. The celebration is said to last for 5 days.

During this festival, you can expect to see a lot of lights, flowers, fireworks, sweets and worships.

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Gawai Dayak

Date in 2009 : 1 June (Monday)- 2 June (Tuesday)

This Dayak Festival is celebrated by the Dayak (collective name of the native ethnic groups of Sarawak such as Iban, Kayan, Bidayuh, Kelabit, etc) people of Sarawak state on the 1st day of June every year. It is a time for friends and family members to visit each other. The entire festival lasts for several days.

Expect to see a lot of food such as the famous glutinous rice (steamed in bamboo), rice wine (tuak), cock fighting and blowpipe competitions.

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Mid-autumn Festival

Date in 2009 : 3 October (Saturday)

Also known as Mooncake festival and Lantern festival (Zhongqiu Jie), this is a very popular festival among the Chinese people (second to Chinese New Year). It is held in the 15th day of the 8th Lunar month. The famous food during this festival is none other than the mooncakes. Family members will gather around during this day to enjoy the mooncake, tea, pameloes and the bright mid-autumn moon.

Expect to see a lot of colorful lanterns, candles, mooncakes and pameloes.

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Thaipusam

Date in 2009 : 8 Feb (Sunday)

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the Tamil community. It commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan and the occasion when Parvati gave Lord Murugan a lance so that the former could vanquish the demon Soorapadman. In Malaysia, this festival takes place in several locations but most notably in Batu Caves (near to Kuala Lumpur). Every year, millions of devotees and thousands of tourists will gather in this place to witness the celebration which includes the famous 8 hours procession.

Expect to see a very grand procession which involves hundreds and thousands of people which starts from the heart of Kuala Lumpur and going up the 272 steps to the top of Batu Caves.

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Wesak

Date in 2009 : 9 May (Saturday)

A celebration observed by Buddhists in many countries including Malaysia. It is sometimes called “Buddha’s birthday”. On the day itself, devotees are encouraged to assemble in their respective temples. Activities such as the hoisting of the Buddhist flag, offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks, etc will be carried out. Devotees are also encouraged to make a special effort not to take any life and to take vegetarian food during this day.

Expect to see colorful processions and decorations, and plenty of devotees in temples.

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Christmas

Date in 2009 : 25 December (Friday)

Christmas Day is an annual holiday which marks and honors the death of Jesus of Nazareth. During this day, family and friends will gather to celebrate and to participate in the gift-giving activities. There will also be plenty of decorations set up by shopping complexes especially in Kuala Lumpur area. If you’re in Malacca (Melaka) state, be sure to check out the Portuguese Settlement where they have an annual celebration of lights and food.

Expect to see a lot of sales, beautiful Christmas trees, Santa Claus, gifts and cookies.

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There are other festivals in Malaysia such as Hari Raya Haji, Harvest Festival, Hungry Ghost Festival, and others. It’ll be too long for me to put in everything inside here. Just remember to check the calendar the next time you are planning a visit to Malaysia. Who knows, maybe you will get the chance to participate in the many festivals that Malaysia has.

All photos are taken from Flickr and the descriptions are from various sources on the Internet including Wiki.

All dates are using 2009 calendar. Certain dates may change depending on certain condition (such as Hari Raya).