The History of Gawai Dayak
Although the traditions related to Gawai Dayak are ancient, the holiday is not. The first Gawai Dayak festival was held in 1965 after several years of renewed cultural pride within the oppressed Dayak community. It is believed that Dayak community were refused the demand of a public holiday by the colonial government as the government was worried that other minority groups will follow suit. Instead, the government declared June 1 as Sarawak Day and once Sarawak got independence the holiday was officially changed as Gawai Dayak.
Although the festival is steeped in the headhunting traditions of the past, currently the only head removed during the Gawai Dayak belongs to a chicken, which is sacrificed in order to honour a successful rice harvest.
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