Sarawak’s annual harvest festival, celebrated by Dayak communities on 1 June, is called Gawai Dayak.
Gawai Dayak is a major festival in Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. The name combines “Gawai,” meaning festival, with “Dayak,” a collective term commonly used for several Indigenous peoples of Borneo, including the Iban and Bidayuh. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 May and continue into 1 June.
The festival developed from older harvest customs and was officially recognized in Sarawak in 1965. Families often return to their longhouses, prepare traditional food and rice wine, wear ceremonial clothing, and perform dances and music. The festival also features communal visiting and the welcoming of guests.
Gawai Dayak is sometimes confused with Kaamatan, Sabah’s major harvest festival. Kaamatan is associated particularly with the Kadazan-Dusun and is observed mainly in May, while Gawai Dayak is associated with Sarawak’s Dayak communities.