Many of Malaysia's public holidays relate to cultural festivals, the dates of which are not fixed but follow the lunar or Muslim calendar. These include Hari Raya Puasa, the main Muslim festival, a two day holiday celebrating the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan.

The main and official religion is Islam, adopted by the Malays, but religious tolerance sees the open practice of Buddhism and Taoism among the Chinese, Hinduism among the Indians and Christianity among non-Malays. Some indigenous people retain their animist beliefs.This diversity has seen the flowering of Malaysia's places of worship, colourful festivals, variety of food and their particular brand of English.

A Malaysian custom in major festivals is the open house, whereby practitioners the various religions open their doors to visitors all day. This is when people of different races visit each other to wish each other Gong Xi Fa Cai during Chinese New Year, Selamat Hari Raya during the Muslim New Year, and Happy Deepvali during the Hindu Festival of Lights. Both the King, the Prime Minister and all the government ministers receive ordinary Malaysian citizens in their homes during the open house.

Some festivals are observed only in certain states; for example, the birthday of the respective state sultans. lf a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is a holiday; likewise if a holiday falls on a Thursday or Friday in the states that follow the Muslim week, the following Saturday is a holiday.

Dance

In Malaysia, dances can be clearly defined into two categories: traditional and modern dances. The traditional dances were initially an integral part of the animistic rituals that adorned the lives of the early Malays. They served to placate the various spirits which governed numerous facets of their lives. Through the passage of time and with various religious influences, they became more structured and refined to serve both ritualistic and secular functions. During the realm of the Melaka Sultanate, the court dances were differentiated from folk dances by their refinements, courtly etiquette and regal ambiance.

Malay folk dances characterise courtly etiquette and regal ambiance. The soul of the Malays is reflected in their various dances. There is tenderness and gracefulness in their movements accompanied by the soft, tender music which truly reflect the feelings and character of the Malays. Some of the well-known traditional dances like tarian inang, tarian canggung and tarian zapin are very popular with the people.

A unique feature in the Malay traditional dances is that the male and female dancers do not embrace. Both male and female partners dance gracefully according to the rhythms of the traditional Malay musical score. Most of these dances are popular and are considered as social dances.

Click on the links below for more Arts and Cultural information:

The National Museum

The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra

The Palace of Culture

The Actors Studio