Malaysian Culture and Traditions
AMAZING CULTURAL EVENTS
Amazing CULTURAL EVENTS – My Personal Experiences
The Malaysian culture and traditions are very different to the uninitiated traveler especially if you arrive with no previous Asian experience. The diversity of religions and festivals can be overwhelming at times. The three primary Malaysian religions, Islam, Hindu and Buddhism all have their own traditions which effect life quite starkly.
Malaysian Culture and Traditions – The Month of the Hungry Ghost
Malaysian Culture and traditions I think can be summed up with the Month of the hungry ghost. which as I remember happened in August of each year in the seventh Lunar month. This festival finds its roots in Buddhism and Taoism and has grown in popularity. The festival is to pay homage to family members that have passed away. Paying respects is a very important time abut it comes with some strange ideas.
The Chinese Malays believe the ghosts of their deceased relatives are allowed out and follow them around looking for food. The effect of this is that the Chinese believe whole heartedly they need to deceive the ghost by indicating one way in their car but then turning the opposite direction. They are concerned the ghosts may travel to their home and stay. This has the deadly affect of causing an exceptional amount of extra road fatalities and crashes during this religious time. You really have to be on your guard when driving at this time. If your not aware of the festival you will certainly be in for some surprises if your in Malaysia at the time. Check festivals in countries you visit. Thailand has many and you can discover the people here.
Malaysian Culture and Traditions – The Origins of the Month of the Hungry Ghost
The Month of the Hungry Ghost comes from an ancient Chinese story where a Monk whos name was Mulian was asked the Buddha to help him. He believed his deceased mother was hungry in the afterlife and Mulian asked the Buddha to help her. The Monk offered the Buddha a gift and prayers were said for the mother and she was reborn as a human ending her long sufferings hunger.
The followers believe ghosts from both the upper and lower realms are free to escape their ghostly realms and visit the world. The people make food offerings at the temple as well as burn incense stick (Joss Sticks) as well as paper money and paper Mache items like cloths, cars and anything the relatives may need in the afterlife. Its pretty bazar to a visitor to Malaysia.
If your visiting Malaysia at this time I’d recommend being very cautious on the roads. Cars around you will be driven by Chinese, Malay and Indian people so you never know who will be following this tradition so be cautious.
Malaysian Culture and Traditions – Fire Walking – Malaysian Hindu Festival
If you have never seen this fire walking in in person its truly a sight to behold. The whole fire walking is part of a much larger festival called Theemithi. This festival starts some months before and culminates in the fire walking at temples.
I was fortunate to see this festival a couple of times when living in Butterworth Malaysia when in the Australian Air Force. It was a real eye opener for both myself and my wife. There was a pit with embers burning in it and it was about 20 yards long as I remember it. The participants generally wore white and many looked to be in a trance of sorts. A really bazaar sight to a foreign visitor like myself.
In doing some research its said that the participants walk smoothly across the embers and they are not injured generally. Running or walking slow causes injury because the foot spends to much time on the heat or punches deeper into the embers if you run through.
Its all about timing apparently and the walking causes the foot to be in contact with the embers only for a minimal time even though its repeated over and over as the person walks through the embers. There sis not enough time for the embers to burn before the foot leaves the embers.
Malaysian Culture and Traditions – Ramadan & The Haj Malaysian Muslim Festival
Malaysia’s Muslim majority population have festivals that are not as picturesque and exotic as the Hindu and Chinese festivals but its very important to the bulk of the population. Ramadan follows the lunar cycle and moves forward about 10 days a year. The Muslim population have a month of fasting in the daylight hours along with their five visits to the Mosque per day as normal.
The month of Ramadan impacts the whole country with workers often working shorter hours and often are very tired because they are up a lot of the night partying. Its like a New celebration that lasts for a month. The whole world gets turned on its head with quiet days but super busy evenings. Its a very festive place but be aware that eating and drinking in public is frowned upon in many Muslim countries. Having lived in both Malaysia and Saudi Arabia (Which ill tell you about latter) were quite different in their approach.
If your a tourist in Malaysia during Ramadan just be mindful of the cultural aspects. You may get a guide from your hotel if you arrive during this time. The markets will be buzzing from Sundown to late in the evening. It is an interesting time.
Malaysian Culture and Traditions – Thaipusam festival – Get Hooked on this Festival
Thaipusam in once of the most incredible festivals I have seen. TO the uninitiated it seems surreal that people would put metal rods and hooks through their skin in devotion to their Hindu god.
The devotees go through a long period of worship prior to the big day. The worships do some amazing thing like being suspended wholly from their skin by hooks and placing frames with decorations on them and parading through the streets. Its a very popular time and many devotees get involved.
If your a tourist in the area at the time there seems to be no real issue with tourists coming to the ceremonies and viewing the festivities.
The Worshipers do mostly seem to be to be in a deep trance for many then others seem quite lucid.
Malaysian Culture and Traditions plus its people are certainly different on how they view the world and live their daily lives. Its very much an eye opener to a newly arrived Australian to their country. There were parts of Malaysia I really enjoyed, and there were a lot of things that drove me absolutely crazy about the country.
The festivals were very enlightening to this Ashiest with a passion for appreciating other cultures and respect people desire and need to be religious. For me that has never been an issue. If religion makes you happy and your part of something that fills you with comfort then that’s fine in my book.
I enjoyed seeing the the lifestyle and appreciated the religious ceremonies the peoples I met in my time there. I had a few Chinese and Indian friends that I saw regularly in sporting venues and in my own home on occasion. Their lives were full of fun and smiles. That in itself makes it a great place.
The food was amazing and there was never any question about the enjoying the foods available at the local Makan Stores (food stores) and street markets. There were some we frequented regularly so my family could enjoy the chilly Crab which they tell me was amazing. More to come.
Malaysia – Traveler Blog #2
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2 responses to “Malaysian Culture and Traditions – Amazing CULTURAL EVENTS”
[…] I had only been in Malaysia for a few weeks when some friends invited me to travel with them to Thailand. I thought why not and happily planned the trip with them. We head up to one of the border towns about an hour and a half from the airbase in Malaysia. I was already quite negative about Malaysia in this short time as beautiful place as it is there were aspects that already rubbed me the wrong way and I was looking for something else. The culture and the third class citizen exemption stamped in my passport had immediately rubbed me the wrong way. (Read More here!) […]
[…] in Malaysia I did loved the food and the smorgasbord of flavors there to experience. Breakfast in Malaysia often was a curry accompanied with hot and tasty roti bread cooked on a hot pan often in even hotter […]