The
mode of celebration varies from place to place. Preparation starts
early. Tuak (rice wine) is brewed (at least one month before the
celebration) and traditional delicacies like penganan (cakes from rice
flour, sugar and coconut milk) are prepared. As the big day approaches,
everyone will be busy with general cleaning and preparing food and
cakes. On Gawai Eve, glutinous rice is steamed in bambo (ngelulun
pulut). In the longhouse, new mats will be laid out on the ruai (an open
gallery which runs through the entire length of the longhouse). The
walls of most bilik (rooms) and the ruai are decorated with Pua Kumbu
(traditional blankets). A visit to clean the graveyard is also conducted
and offerings offered to the dead. After the visit it is important to
bathe before entering the longhouse to ward off bad luck.
The celebration starts on the evening of 31 May. In most Iban longhouses, it starts with a ceremony called Muai Antu Rua (to cast away the spirit of greed), signifying the non-interference of the spirit of bad luck in the celebration. Two children or men each dragging a chapan (winnowing basket) will pass each family's room. Every family will throw some unwanted article into the basket. The unwanted articles will be tossed to the ground from the end of the longhouse for the spirit of bad luck.
Around 6 pm or as the sun sets, miring (offering ceremony) will take place. Before the ceremony, gendang rayah (ritual music) is performed. The Feast Chief thanks the gods for the good harvest, and asks for guidance, blessings and long life as he waves a cockerel over the offerings. He then sacrifices the cockerel and a little blood is used together with the offerings.
Once the offering ceremony
is done, dinner is then served at the ruai. Just before midnight, a
procession up and down the ruai seven times called Ngalu Petara
(welcoming the spirit gods) is performed. During this procession, a
beauty pageant to choose the festival's queen and king (Kumang & Keling Gawai) is sometimes conducted. Meanwhile, drinks, traditional cakes and delicacies are served.
At midnight, the gong is beaten to call the celebrants to attention. The longhouse Chief (tuai rumah) or Festival Chief will lead everyone to drink the Ai Pengayu (normally tuak for long life) and at the same time wish each other "gayu-guru, gerai-nyamai" (long life, health and prosperity). The celebration now turns merrier and less formal. Some will dance to the traditional music played, others will sing the pantun (poems). In urban areas, Dayaks will organise gatherings at community centres or restaurants to celebrate the evening.
Other activities that may follow the next few days include: cock-fighting matches, and blowpipe and ngajat competitions.
Traditionally, when guests arrive at a longhouse, they are given the ai tiki as a welcome. From time to time, guests are served tuak. This would be called nyibur temuai which literally means "watering of guests".
It
is also during this time of year that many Dayak weddings take place,
as it is one of the rare occasions when all the members of the community
return home to their ancestral longhouse.
Up
till 1962, the British colonial government refused to recognise Dayak
Day. Gawai Dayak was formally gazetted on 25 Sept 1964 as a public
holiday in place of Sarawak Day. It was first celebrated on 1 June 1965
and became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for the Dayak
community. Today, it is an integral part of Dayak social life. It is a
thanksgiving day marking good harvest and a time to plan for the new
farming season or activities ahead.
(taken from wikipidea)