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Gawai Dayak Festival
The Dayaks of Sarawak celebrate their major festival in June.
The week-long festival mark the end of the padi harvesting season and the
beginning of the new planting season.
Spring-cleaning is a must during this time and their homes as well as their
ancestors' graves are cleaned and decorated. A day before the actual celebration,
every family member would gather in a room in their houses where a special
ceremony takes place.
The youngest in the family would offer a plate of food which is specially cooked
for that occasion and presented to the parents. Decked in their traditional
finery, the Dayaks celebrate with much drinking of tuak (rice wine) as
the dancing and merry-making carry on into the early hours.
The Dayaks also make animal sacrifices to the gods for the good harvest.