Hari Gawai, or the Gawai Dayak Festival, is an important festival of the Dayak community in Malaysia that comprises the Bidayuh, Kenyah, Iban, Murut, Kayan, and Kelabit tribes. The Hari Gawai festival is a thanksgiving and harvest festival that marks the plentiful yield and

planning of future prospects. Despite progress in major cities, for many of the Sarawakians living in the interiors, rice-growing is still a major source of income. Event celebrated yearly on 1 June in Sarawak, is both a religious and social festival.

During the celebrations, participants can engage in traditional dances, dance competitions, and enjoy Sarawakian delicacies such as a rice wine called Tuak, which is thought to bring long life, and rice cakes called Penganan. Gawai Dayak is a time filled with events and activities.

The Gawai Dayak festival may last up to several days, with visitors being welcomed into the homes of the Dayaks throughout the festival. In Sarawak’s capital city of Kuching, the festivities and celebrations of the Gawai Dayak commence a week before with the World Harvest Festival.