Kaamatan Harvest Festival in Sabah
The Kaamatan Harvest Festival in Sabah is the biggest single holiday which is state wide and celebrated throughout North Borneo for a full month.
The end of May marks the final days of the festival where it will be held at the KDCA (Kadazandusun Cultural Association) or Hongkod Koisaan center in Penampang.
Thousands of locals and tourist will head here for the closing ceremony and also the finals of the very unique and special Unduk Ngadau Harvest Beauty Queen Contest.
Kaamatan Harvest Festival in Sabah
All sorts of stalls line a section of the grounds with demonstrations of agriculture and ethnic handcraft.
Souvenirs locally made are sold and abundance of food and drink stalls are readily available for the hungry.
For any visitors coming here, you are going to have a unique experience for the Kaamatan Festival here which is on the 30th and 31st of May every year.
Many of the ethnic cultures from around Sabah will be here showcasing their traditions, food and culture.
There are a number of original ethnic houses located throughout the premises here and each are fully decorated by the individual tribe.
Performers in each home entertain visitors with song and dance while some offer the local food and rice wine called Tapai or Lihing.
The Kadazan Priestess called Bobohizan is one of the most important people of the Kaamatan Festival. She will determine the official harvest festival date and officiate it.
As this ceremony goes back hundreds of years, the involvement of a Bobolian is crucial to the ceremony here.
At the KDCA, you will have a chance to see the priestess in person while her direct descendants will be around here.
As the Bobohizan is a very respected and serious person, please do not approach her and ask her for a photograph.
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Some of the ritual items used by the Bobohizan for the Kaamatan Festival |
The many ‘Open Homes’ will be an interesting visit while overall, it could take up to half a day here or even a full day if you want to witness the Harvest Queen Finals inside the main building.
Overall, it is an experience to remember if you do visit this place. One of my highlights here was the stunning and intricate costumes of the various Borneo people.
Every home I visited showed me something different and unique. See for yourself in the pictures. Below, are pictures taken by me during the Kaamatan Festival in Sabah.
Kaamatan Festival Photos in Sabah
As this is the biggest festival, it is also one of the best places to see the many different tribes in just one area.
I love the fact that they were all in full traditional costume while most of them had the local dance and also featuring some of the specialty dishes that the tribes cook.
Tapai and Lihing Drinking With Straws
Long straws are inserted into jars where everyone takes a sip as they walk pass. Anyone is a friend and welcomed here, hence if you walk pass, the locals will invite you to have a go at the Tapai or Lihing.
Apparently the festival starts early in the mornings and end very late at night, and is a jovial event with old and new friends catching up.
I was told that the party gets to be very merry once the sun goes down. Children are seen having a merry time while adults are catching up with old friends in this merry occasion.
Competitions are also held and by noon, most of the visitors will start to head into the main hall to see the harvest beauty pageant.
Organiser : Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA)
Venue : Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), Penampang
Contact Person : Dr. Benedict Topin
Telephone : +60 88 713696
Fax : +60 88 713350
Email Contact : bovis@asia.com
That means on the 30th and 31st which is a Monday and Tuesday, it will be a very long holiday over there.
Almost everything will be closed so be prepared for this if you are visiting during this time of the year.
Conclusion
As for this year, I took a pass on visiting again so maybe next year, I will make another visit to catch the next Kaamatan Harvest Festival in Sabah, which takes place at the end of May.
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