On 1 June 1963, Datuk Michael Buma, a Betong native, hosted the celebrations of the first Gawai Dayak at his home at Siol Kandis, Kuching.

It is a thanksgiving day marking a bountiful harvest and a time to plan for the new farming season or other endeavours ahead.

As the festival day approaches, everyone will be busy with general tidying up, grave visiting, paddy drying and milling, collecting and preparing food and final house decoration, where necessary.

When a longhouse agrees to host Gawai Dayak with big ritual festivals, they may need to plant extra paddy and organise labour exchange (bedurok).

The drink is brewed from the glutinous rice from a recent harvest mixed with homemade yeast called ciping.

A stronger alcoholic beverage made by the Iban is langkau (called arak tonok, "burnt spirit" by the Bidayuh).

Its main post (tiang pemun) is the designated starting point of all the building materials (pun ramu) and must remain intact.

Women decorate living room walls by hanging their handwoven ceremonial clothes called pua kumbu and other handicrafts.

Heirloom jars, brassware, and old human skulls obtained during raids or trade sojourns, if still kept, are cleaned and displayed.

Deer horns may be secured to the longhouse posts in order to hold highly decorated swords and other household items.

On Gawai Eve, people gather sago, aping, sawit or coconut palm shoots which are used for making meat stews.

Enough meat is cooked in mid-aged thin-walled bamboo logs to make a traditional dish called pansoh (Iban: lulun).

The traditional dress of men is a loincloth (sirat or cawat), animal skin coat (gagong), peacock and hornbill feathers (lelanjang) headwear, chains over the neck (marik), silver armlets and anklets along with a shield, sword, and spear.

Women wear a handwoven cloth (kain betating) worn around the waist, a rattan and brass ring high corset around the upper body, selampai (a long piece of scalp) worn over the shoulders, a woven beaded chain over the neck and shoulders (marik empang), a decorated high-comb (sugu tinggi) over the hair lump (sanggul), a silver belt (lampit), armlet, anklet, and orb fruit purse.

Old ceramic plates, tabak (big brass chalices), or containers made of split bamboo skins (kelingkang) are filled with food and drinks to be offered to the deities.

[6] Iban Dayaks also call upon the legendary and mythical people of Panggau Libau and Gelong, and other good, helpful spirits or ghosts to attend the feast.

Offerings to the deities are placed at strategic spots: the four corners of each family room for protection of souls; in the kitchen; at the rice jar; in the gallery; the tanju; and the farm.

Heavy fines (ukom) are imposed on those who break the customary adat and festive ground rules with fighting, quarrelling, drunkenness or vandalism.

The longhouse chief (tuai rumah) or host will lead a toast to longevity (Ai Pengayu) and the new year with a short prayer (sampi).

The festival greeting, "Gayu Guru, Gerai Nyamai, Senang Lantang Nguan Menua" ("Wishing you longevity, wellness, and prosperity") is repeated to each other.

Next, follows a procession by men and women, ladies, youths and kids in traditional costumes along the gallery in honour of the elders in the line up, normally three rounds depending on the length of the longhouse.

After this, some of the procession participants may go for the tuak contained in several medium-sized jar (kebok or pasu) after paying a token of their appreciation to the respective owners who are normally expert brewers.

This tuak is normally the pure liquid from the glutinous rice which tastes sweet but it contains a high concentration of alcohol.

[8] Any honoured guests to longhouses may be asked to break open a coconut to symbolise the actions of Sengalang Burong (the god of war) during the Iban timang incantation which is called ngelanpang (cleansing the head skull to present various kinds of beneficial seeds to humankind).

Other parlour games are played such as egg rolling, plate passing to the tune of taboh music, running in gunny sacks, and balloon blowing, while karaoke and joget dance are also popular.

The male and female dances consist of graceful, precise and surprise movements of the body, hands and feet with occasional shouts of a battle cry.

The male dance shows strength and bravery and may imitate the movements of the hornbill, which is regarded as the king of worldly birds.

It is during this time of year that many Dayak hold authentic ritual festivals and weddings (Melah Pinang[10] or Gawai Lelabi) take place.

Rituals called gawa are the Sandau Ari (midday festival); Tresang Mansau (red bamboo pole); and Gawai Kalingkang.

For most of these traditional festivals, sacred invocation and incantations called pengap or timang are performed throughout the night(s) by a bard (lemambang) and his assistants or a manang (healer).