Temples	Religious associations	Culture
Festivals	Travel Destinations	Cuisine

	Deepavali Commonly known to Hindus as the Festival of Lights falls in the month of Aipassi. Deepavali celebrates the triumph of good over evil, when Lord Krishna defeated Nargasuran . Oil baths are taken in the morning, before donning new clothes and paying a visit to the temple. Homes are lit with oil lamps, signifying victory over darkness. Lakshmi the Goddess of Wealth will only bless those homes which are well-lit. As with all open houses in Malaysia, friends join in the celebrations by visiting the homes of Hindu friends and relatives.
Chinese Lunar New Year The Chinese herald in the 1st day of the first moon of the lunar year with joyous merrymaking. Legend has it, Buddha invited all animals to his kingdom but only 12 attended. With that, Buddha dedicated a year to each animal. People will inherit some of the animal’s characteristics, depending on which year they were born. On the eve of the New Year, family's gather as the younger ones congregate at their parent’s homes for the traditional reunion dinner on Chinese New Year. It is also a time for fire-crackers and lion dances are performed to the mesmerising beat of the huge drums and gongs.
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	Hari Raya Puasa Hari Raya Puasa (or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri) falls on the first day of the Muslim month of Syawal and is a joyous occasions for all Muslims. It marks the successful observance of fasting throughout the month of Ramadhan - the tenth month of the Muslim calendar. After morning prayers at the mosque followed by visits to the graves of family members to pay respects, it is time to visit relatives and friends and sample the sumptuous Hari Raya spread, painstakingly prepared days and even weeks before hand. Many types of food are prepared such as ketupat, lemang, rendang, satay and etc.
Christmas Christmas is celebrated by members of the Christian community come December 25th.Midnight services are held in churches, to celebrate the birth of Christ. Weeks before the actual event, shoppers throng the stores for gifts and decorations for the traditional Christmas tree. The lilting strains of Christmas carols and the glittery decorations lend an air of gaiety that is at once infectious and irresistible. As in other Christian societies, caroling and prayers are held, being enjoyed by Christians and non-Christians alike. Many non-Christians celebrate too, by roasting a turkey – some even put up a Christmas tree! Unlike the west, Malaysia does not celebrate Boxing Day
	Thaipusam Thaipusam is the Hindu celebration of Lord Subramaniam’s birthday. On the eve of Thaipusam, a statue of Lord Subramaniam is taken for a procession on a chariot drawn by bullocks. The next day, devotees carry kavadi’s (wooden arches elaborately decorated) on their shoulders, with hooks and spikes extending from the kavadi into various parts of the devotee’s body. The most commonly pierced body parts are the cheeks, tongue and back. Devotees carry out this body piercing as a condition, should their prayers be answered.
Pongal - The Harvest Festival Pongal is a Southern Indian festival celebrated with much fanfare over 4 days. In Hindu temples bells, drums, clarinets and conch shells herald the joyous occasion. To symbolise a bountiful harvest, rice is cooked in new pots until they boil over. Some of the rituals performed in the temple include the preparation of rice, the chanting of prayers and the offering of vegetables, sugar cane and spices to the gods. Devotees then consume the offerings to exonerate themselves of past sins.

Hari Raya Aidil Adha (Hari Raya Haji)
According to the fifth tenet of Islam, Muslims are required a least once during their lifetime, to perform a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca - after which they will be entitled to refer to themselves as Haji’s or Hajjah’s. In the morning, prayers are conducted in mosques. The highlight of the festival is the sacrifice of animals, with the meat being distributed amongst the poor.

Awal Muharam
Awal Muharam is the start of the Muslim calendar. This day coincides with Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD, the first Muharam. Muslims celebrate the New Year by attending religious talks and Koran reading performances.

Prophet Mohamad’s Birthday
The Prophet was born on the third month of the Muslim calendar, in 570 AD. His birthday is celebrated with religious lectures and recitals of verses from the Koran.

Festival of the Patriotic Poet
Also know as the Dumpling Festival, this festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. According to legend, a righteous minister named Chu Yuan was sacked because of a conspiracy of corrupt officials. He traveled for 20 years, composing poems about his beloved country and denouncing corruption. In 278 BC the Tsin State attacked Chu Yuan’s home state of Chu. Overcome with grief, Chu Yuan composed two odes, and then proceeded to the Mi-Lo River to drown himself. A fisherman recognized him and rowed out to save him, but failed. In honour of the spirit of Chu Yuan, fishermen row boats out to throw rice dumplings as offerings to the spirit of Chu Yuan. In Malaysia, dumplings are offered to deities, with dragon boat races being popular in Penang.

The Moon Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival or Mooncake Festival as it is more commonly referred to, falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. This festival is characterized by the making of moon cakes and the lighting of lanterns, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. This night celebrates the Hans overthrowing the Mongols in ancient China. In preparation for the festival, Chinatown is packed with lanterns of all sizes, shapes and colours and different varieties of moon cakes. Moon cakes are filled with black, brown or yellow bean paste and given to friends and relatives. Sacrificial offerings are made at open-air altars as children parade the streets carrying their lanterns.

Festival of the Hungry Ghost
According to Chinese tradition, the gates of hell are opened for thirty days on the seventh lunar month. Sacrificial offerings are made by leaving food outside homes, in the hope that these spirits will not cause trouble to the members of the household. Mock cars, money and textiles are burned as offerings to relatives in heaven. Religious ceremonies are also held at temples.

Loy Krathong Festival
Every year the Thai Buddhist Temple in Sitiawan Perak organises a Loy Krathong Festival at Lumut around November.

Wesak Day
Wesak Day is the most important day in the Buddhist calendar and it commemorates Lord Buddha's entry into Nirvana after attaining spiritual enlightenment. The bathing of the Buddha, the chanting of sutras, the lighting of joss sticks, releasing of pigeons, and ordination of monks and the offering of flowers normally take place in temples. At night, processions of floats parade the streets, with devotees carrying candles.

Navarathiri Festival
Three Hindu goddesses - Dhurga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi - are honoured with music and dances during Navarathiri. The festival, which means "9 nights" in Tamil, is divided into 3 equal segments, with 3 nights dedicated to each goddess. On the 10th night, the festivities conclude with a dramatic procession led by a magnificent silver horse. Following closely behind is a group of faithful followers decked in colourful traditional attire.

Vasakhi
This is the celebration of the New Year for Sikhs, falling in April. On this day in 1669, Sikhs were baptized by Guru Gobind Singh (the Sikh’s 10th Guru), bestowing upon the males the surname Singh, which means lion, and Kaur, meaning princess, upon the females. Prayers are chanted at home and hymns are sung at temples.

Gawai Dayak
This day marks the end of the paddy-planting season and the start of the new planting season for the Dayaks of Sarawak. Their homes are cleaned and the graves of ancestors are tended to. As with the Chinese, celebrations begin with a reunion dinner for the entire family. Here, the youngest member of the family will offer the parents a plate of specially prepared food. Tuak (rice wine) is served to guests. Livestock is also sacrificed to ensure a good harvest the following season.

Pesta Ka’amatan
The indigenous tribes of the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut of Sabah celebrate their harvest festival in May. As with Hari Raya Puasa, Pesta Ka’amatan is celebrated for the duration of one month, where homage is paid to rice spirits called Bambarayon. A dance is performed by a high priestess, or Boohizan, to search for the Bambarayon. Once found, a good harvest can be expected. Tapai (rice wine) is commonly served and a beauty contest is held to seek the fairest maiden, honouring a sacrifice made by a maiden in legendary times.

Good Friday
Christians commemorate the day Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross to exonerate the sins of all mankind. In churches all over Singapore, Christians bow their heads in special prayer services and demonstrate their gratification to the Lord. Catch a Catholic procession bearing white candles and a figure of the crucified Christ at the St Joseph's Catholic Church on Victoria Street.