Final Project

Gawai Dayak and Chinese New Years:
Today I will be comparing Gawai Dayak, celebrated in Borneo, Malaysia, and Chinese New Year, celebrated throughout China.
What is Gawai Dayak?:
Gawai is a celebration of good rice harvest for the people of the Iban and Bidayuh tribes. It's celebrated on June 1st and lasts just one day. I am most familiar with how my family celebrates Gawai as Bidayuhs in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Traditional Dress:
A similarity in Chinese New Years and Gawai is that both have their own traditional dress. For Bidayuhs they wear a bojuh bolih which is only worn to celebrate Gawai by the women. There are three colors essential to every bojuh bolih: black, red and metallic colors such as gold or silver. Black represents waiting for the rice harvest, red represents healthy rice crop and metallic colors represents spirituality. The hat worn is for protection from tapans. Similarly cheongsams are worn for Chinese New Years along with other important events. Cheongsams used to be every day wear until the introduction of western style clothing. Red cheongsams are very common as they mean happiness and good fortune.

Here is a tapan which is used to sorts rice grain shells. Without a protective hat your head would become very itchy.

Here are some photos of me wearing a bojuh bolih and both my grandmas wearing them as well.
Food:
Both festivals are very food and drink centered. Both Chinese New Years and Gawai have alcohol and a glutinous rice dish they both serve. For Gawai, tuak is served which is a fermented rice wine. You are offered shots of tuak by your host and it is rude to decline. For Chinese New Years, tusu wine is commonly drank but for health purposes. By drinking this wine you are ensuring health for the next year.

Lemang is a Bidayuh sweet rice cake made with bamboo leaves over a hot fire. It is primarily consumed during Gawai but people make it year round. Nin gao is most popular during Chinese New Year however it is also eaten year round.
Music:
Three days leading to Gawai gongs are played constantly. The gongs are also a huge part of the dances and worship. Guzheng are what give the character of "Chinese music" and are played during Chinese New Year.
Purpose:
The purpose of Gawai Dayak is to pray and celebrate a plentiful rice harvest. Chinese New Years is a way to celebrate Lunar New Year and mark the new year of the Chinese Zodiac. It is also traditionally a way to celebrate ancestors.