I know everybody is in a mood of holiday especially those Sabahan and Sarawakian as the public holiday are very soon. For Sabahan, the Pesta Kaamatan (Harvest Festival) fall on 30th to 31st May while for Sarawakian Pesta Gawai fall on 1st to 2nd of June. How I wish those date can be made as a public holiday to all Malaysian..dont you think so???..hehehe. By doing so, we can celebrate together…lol..
Pesta Kaamatan are celebrating by KadazanDusuns of Sabah. Not so long ago most of KadazanDusuns were mainly agrarian folks and subsistence rice framers. The spirit of paddy/rice called ‘Bambarayon’ or ‘Bambaazon’ are needs to be worship. That is the reason Kaamatan for, to give a thanksgiving to the ‘Bambarayon’. They had been for times immemorial and have emerged as proud and valiant people with their very own social orders and religious belief system in which the Bobohizans, the female shamans of KadazanDusun, played a paramount role and as a medium to the Kinorohingann (god). The Pesta Ka’amatan, the rice harvest and thanksgiving festival remembers those times in an era where customs and traditions are changing much too fast.
Throughout the month of May, local districts such as Penampang, Kota Belud, Tamparuli and many others will be hosting their Kaamatan and Beauty contest. The winner from the local contest will go on to complete the Grand Final at KDCA on 30th to 31st of May. The finale of the Kaamatan is when the Untuk Ngadau (Ethnic Beauty Pageant of the Kadazandusun) is chosen. There is a story behind this ethnic beauty contest, and it is one where the heroine sacrifices herself for the good of her people by the name of Hominodun the daughter of Kinorohingan and his wife Suminundu. This is one of the more well-known oral folklore from the Kadazandusuns.
The Unduk Ngadau wearing a different traditonal costume representing different ethnics
So… Happy Kaamatan to all of you…..arramaitiiieeee………………………hehehhe
Note: Aramaiti is in KadazanDusun language and it means ‘lets have fun together’
