Gawai Dayak, The famous event from Dayak.

Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated by Dayaks in Sarawak and West Kalimantan, which are officially public holidays on 31 May and 1 June every year in Sarawak, Malaysia. 

It is both a religious and social occasion. The idea for Gawai Dayak started way back in 1957 in a radio forum held by Tan Kingsley and Owen Liang, a radio programme organiser. This generated a lot of interest among the Dayak community. Up till 1962, the British colonial government refused to recognise the Dayak Day, but instead called it the Sarawak Day which was meant to be celebrated by all Sarawakians as a national day regardless of tribes. The first Gawai was hosted by Datuk Michael Buma, a Betong native, at his house at Siol Kandis, Kuching on 1 June 1963, before it was officially gazetted[1] on 25 September 1964 as a public holiday in place of Sarawak Day after the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. 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 the Dayak social life. It is a thanksgiving day marking a bountiful harvest and a time to plan for the new farming season or other endeavours ahead.