Holidays in Malaysia

Like every other country on the planet Earth, Malaysia has some holidays that are in some ways like ours with a twist on them. There are some holidays that are federal holidays where the entire country can enjoy them and then there are state holidays where only that particular location can celebrate the holiday. In addition to holidays, there are festivals that are celebrated by different ethnic groups or religious groups. Events like that are only celebrated by the religion or group the festival belongs too.
On August 31 is Malaysia’s Independence Day is called Hari Merdeka. This holiday celebrates the independence from the Federation of Malaya in 1957. But Malaysia Day is only celebrated in Sabah on September 16 to remember the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Labour Day is celebrated on May 1st and they celebrate the King’s birthday on the first Saturday in June.
The Muslims in Malaysia have their own holidays as well. The most popular holiday is called Hari Raya Puasa, it is a festival celebrated by Muslims around the world by marking the end of Ramadan which is a fasting month.
The Chinese in Malaysia have their own holidays as well. The most common and most popular is the Chinese New Year, this festival lasts about 2 weeks and ends with Chap Goh Mei. Other festivals celebrated by the Chinese in Malaysia are the Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat festival, the Mid Autumn Festival and Vesak Day.
The Indians in Malaysia are Hindus and they have holidays such as Deepavali which is called the Festival of Lights. Thaipusam and the Sikh New Year. Other festivals celebrated in Malaysia are Good Friday which is only celebrated in East Malaysia. Christmas is celebrated, Hari Gawai of the Ibans, Pesta Menuai and Kadazan Dusuns are celebrated in Malaysia.
Other Federal holidays are Awal Muharam, Porphet Muhammad’s Birthday, Weak Day and National Day to name a few. Some state holidays include Birthday of Sultan of Kelantan, Birthday of Sultan of Johor, Birthday of Sultan of Pahang, Birthday of Sultan of Perak, Birthday of Raja of Perlis, Federal Territory Day, Harvest Festival and Israk Mikraj. The way your country feels about holidays as does Malaysia. They have federal holidays like we have here and though state holidays are really not common here in the United States there are certain religious holidays that are honored.
All federal and state holidays are observed by schools and businesses. Malaysia is such a diverse place that you could learn a lot about the other cultures and about the country itself. Holidays are a great time to learn because that is when the decorations go up and decorations always have meanings. You can learn a lot from the decorations and the festivals always have a history that you can learn about in the library or online. It can be a fun time to visit a country while they have festivals going on; you get a great vacation plus the significance behind the festivals that are going on in a country.

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