It is that time of the year, when Sarawak’s rich diversity of culture is showcased at its best.
Traditionally, the Dayak community welcomes the Gawai celebrations to give thanks to the gods for another successful harvest of the paddy, while praying for another good season up ahead.
Celebrated in the state on June 1 each year, Gawai Dayak is both a religious and social occasion.
Gawai Dayak simply means a ritual or festival celebrated by the native ethnic groups of the Iban and Bidayuh people of Sarawak and neighbouring Kalimantan of Indonesia.
Even though many of the younger generations have migrated to the city and are not involved in paddy planting anymore, Gawai Dayak remains an integral part of the Dayak traditions and customs.
Evolving with time and social changes, Gawai now symbolises a time to give back, to reunite with family members, friends, the community and above all, to strengthen the understanding and appreciation of the traditions, cultures and the roots of oneself.
Although the colourful cultural extravaganza and fiesta of Gawai Dayak runs through June until its Ngiling Tikai (closing ceremony), it is the rituals, prayers and celebration to welcome Gawai that would be considered its highlights.
For the Iban community, be it in the longhouse or the urban housing communities, celebration starts on the eve, on May 31 itself.
During the evening, a ceremony among the Ibans, a ceremony called Muai Antu Rua (to cast away the spirit of greed) is conducted to ward off the spirit of bad luck.
Around 6pm (twilight), an offering ceremony called miring would take place.
The longhouse chief or the most respected senior figure in the community would conduct the miring ritual by thanking the farming deity for the good harvest, asking for guidance, blessings and long life as he waves a cockerel over the offerings.
The cockerel would then be slaughtered as sacrifice and a little blood is used together with the offerings. Prior to the miring ceremony gendang rayah (ritual gong music) would be performed whereby two big gongs and two small ones are involved.
During my younger days I always took part in this music ritual, usually my favourite was playing the second gong.
Once the offering ceremony has been carried out, dinner would then be served at the open gallery ruai where family members would be gathered for a “reunion” dinner just like the Chinese do on the eve of Chinese New Year. There will be some exchange of dishes among the celebrants, especially in between immediate neighbours who are usually cousins, siblings or close relatives.
Just before midnight, a procession along the ruai called Ngalu Petara or welcoming the deities would be performed. Some longhouse whose occupants are mostly Christians would usually replace this with a mass prayer.
Nevertheless, such procession will be carried out for the purpose of selecting the Keling and Kumang or King and Queen of the evening. Usually the victors are called Keling Gawai and Kumang Gawai respectively.
Some longhouses in modern times, with the growing interest for the beauty pageants, would hold the contests days or weeks earlier leading to the Gawai Dayak and hold the finals on the eve of the festival.
Around 11pm on Gawai eve, the Tuai Rumah, or longhouse chief, would call for a gathering of the village residents at his ruai and adjacent galleries. He will usually give some words of advice to his fellow folk.
A few others are also asked to give a short address each. There will also be notices pertaining to the next day’s Gawai do schedules and other related matters.
At the stroke of midnight of the eve of Gawai, the gong would be beaten to attract the attention of all celebrants in order for them to be ready for the Ai Pengayu (drink of longevity) toast where the traditional rice wine tuak is usually featured among the adults.
The longhouse chief will normally lead everyone for the toast and make a wish of gayu guru gerai nyamai (long life, health and prosperity). Such celebration would usually last until morning with traditional dances, feast, games and other fun activities including live music, karaoke session, beauty contests as well as other activities.
Over the last few years in my Saratok longhouse Kedap, apart from live music and karaoke sessions, activities included fancy dress, drinking hot coffee contest as well as other interesting games among children and adults.
On the first day of Gawai, be it in the longhouse or urban housing areas, people will go ngabang, a practice of house visiting in full joyful spirit. This is where members of the other communities as well as Dayaks themselves visit their friends who are celebrating Gawai, thus helping to promote goodwill, friendship and neighbourliness.
The practice of ngabang has become a common trend in Sarawak since time immemorial not only during Gawai but during other festive celebrations of Christmas, Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and even during Deepavali.
During the ngabang to Gawai, visitors are usually served with traditional food including the popular pansuh ayam or manuk pansuh in Iban language. Other food items served include local pancakes penganan. Guests will certainly enjoy an endless flow of tuak too apart from other food and drinks a real testament of Dayak hospitality.
In my longhouse, on June 1, our youths usually hold various indoor and outdoor contests and games. These include nyumpit (blowpipe) contest, badminton, tug-of-war, sepak takraw, cooking and eating contest plus river and lake fishing as well.
For the record, the first official celebration of Gawai Dayak was held on June 1, 1964 minus the tiang pengingat (commemorative pillar/monument), thanks to a suggestion and efforts made by Datuk Seri Tra Zehnder in the Council Negri (State Legislative Council) in 1962.
It was on June 1, 1965 that the pillar/monument was introduced. To this very day the pillar is a symbol of unity among the celebrants though some longhouses have changed theirs, especially those which have moved from their 1965 sites, my Kedap longhouse included.
Actually, Gawai Dayak was officially approved as a state celebration and public holiday back in 1963 when the late Tan Sri Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan became Sarawak’s first chief minister.
Hitherto, the date has become unity, aspiration and symbol of hope for the Dayaks in Sarawak as well as elsewhere in Borneo.
