Kaamatan
Kaamatan or Pesta Kaamatan is a form of harvest festival celebrated on 30 and 31 of May annually in the state of Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia. It is normally celebrated by the ethnic Kadazan-Dusuns, as well as by other related ethnic groups in the state, and lasts for the whole of the month of May, ending with a public holiday on a date selected by a priestess known as the bobohizan.[1][2]: 417
| Kaamatan | |
|---|---|
 The bobohizan perform the magavau | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Harvest festival |
| Date(s) | May |
| Begins | 1 May |
| Ends | 31 May |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Country | Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia |
| Participants | Kadazan-Dusun people |
A beauty pageant known as Unduk Ngadau will be held and it ends the harvest festival with a newly crowned Unduk Ngadau in the annual host district, Penampang. The Harvest Festival comes under the ambit of what is known as Momolianism, the belief system and life philosophy of the Kadazan-Dusun. There is also a dance performance called the Sumazau, a singing contest called Sugandoi, a bodybuilding competition, and other arts and crafts performances. Competitions such as hitting the gong and folk sports have also become one of the main events in this festival.
Popular drinks during the festival are tapai and Kinomol, which is a traditional alak drink. Tapai is drunk from a small bamboo vessel known as a sumbiling or from special glasses called singgarung, likewise made from bamboo.[3]
References
- "11 Things About Kaamatan And Gawai You Should Know Before Going To Sabah Or Sarawak". Says.com. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- Fausto Barlocco (2010). The village as a 'community of practice': Constitution of village belonging through leisure sociality. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 166 (4): 404–425. Leiden: KITLV, Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies. (subscription required)
- "kaamatan". sabah.edu.my. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
