Iban

The Ibans is one of the indigenous ethnics in Malaysia. The Ibans were traditionally animist, although the majority are now Christian, some of them are Muslim and many continue to observe both Christian and traditional ceremonies, particularly during marriages or festivals. The Ibans are originally from Sarawak.

Significant festivals include the rice harvesting festival Gawai Dayak which is the main festival for the Ibans. The Gawai Dayak festival is celebrated every year on the 1st of June, at the end of the harvest season, to worship the Lord Sempulang Gana. On this day, the Ibans get together to celebrate, often visiting each other. These activities can be treated as their customs or traditions as they do it every time the festival is conducted. 

Gawai Dayak performance

The Iban traditional dance, the ngajat, is performed accompanied by the tabohand gendang, the Ibans’ traditional music. This is main performance for the Ibans where most of their people need to know how to do their traditional dance. The dance differs based on the genders. It includes many precise body-turning movements. Ngajat is a unique dance where it serves many purpose depends on the occasion. During the Gawai Dayak festival, this dance is used to entertain their people.