People and Culture 

What is Culture?

Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, art.

Why do people celebrate their culture?

We celebrate because it reminds us of milestones in our lives or traditions in our culture. One way of distinguishing one culture from another is through the celebrations we hold every year. This, in a way, builds our identity and strengthens our connection to our traditional roots.

How many cultures are there in Malaysia?

Malaysia is a cosmopolitan country with threeprimary ethno-cultural groups: Malay and Bumiputera, Chinese, and Indian. Malay and Bumiputera are the largest ethnic group in Malaysia, followed by Chinese and Indian.

1. Malay culture

The culture of malay is the way of living of the people of malay , malay's languages, religions ,dance, architecture, food, and customs differs from place to place within the country. The malay culture, often labelled as an amalgamation of several culture and has been influenced by a history that is several millennia old. Many elements of malay's diverse cultures.

Languange

Malay is the Malaysian national language. It is taught, with English as a second language, in almost every school in Malaysia.Although the Malay language is widely spoken in Malaysia, dialects vary between the states. Generally, words are pronounced the way they are spelled, thus it is a very easy language to learn. The Malay language borrows heavily from other languages, including Sanskrit, Portuguese, Persian, Arabic, and English.

Malay festival

Malays celebrate 5 types of festival which are Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, Ma'al Hijrah, and Prophet Muhammad's Birthday

Traditional Malay attire

Traditional Malay attire for men is the baju melayu, a loose tunic which is worn over trousers and usually accompanied with a sarong called a sampin which is wrapped around the hips. It is also often accompanied with a songkok or cap. Malay women wear the baju kurung, a knee-length blouse worn over a long skirt. The blouse is long-sleeved and collarless, while the skirt, called a kain, has pleats on one side. A headscarf is sometimes worn with this.

Malay traditional food 

Kuih Muih is usually a selection of cakes, pastries and sweets eaten as a snack during the morning or during midday, and are an important feature during festive occasions. It is a tradition shared by both the Malay and the Peranakan communities. For example like, Bingka ubi, Epok-epok, and Kuih Ketayap.

Malay Traditional Games

In Malay culture, there are 5 types of traditional games that are very popular in Malaysia. These types of traditional games are differ in terms of their own history,  characteristics, the reasons people play the games and more. For example like, Wau, Congkak, Batu Seremban, Sepak takraw, and Gasing.

2. Chinese culture

  

Chinese culture rich in Arts and Sciences, elaborate Painting and Printing techniques, and delicate pottery and sculpture. Chinese architectural traditions were enormously respected all over the world. Chinese language and literature, philosophy, and politics are still regarded as a strong influence.

Chinese festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Mooncake Festival or the Lantern Festival ) is one of the biggest celebrations for the Chinese in Malaysia. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls annually on the fifteenth day of the eighth Chinese lunar month. In 2022, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 10th (Saturday).

Traditional chinese attire

Chinese men in Malaysia wear their traditional dress called tang suit. Tang suit is a type of jacket that has a collar and a knot at the belly and is mostly floral .  Chinese women in Malaysia wear cheongsam (means ‘long dress’) during festivals and formal events. Cheongsam, also called qipao, is a silk one piece dress with a collar and clasps at the waist, either in the centre or on the side. Elder women dress in samfoo, which is a type of ankle length pant with a loose fitted top with clasps at the centre.

Chinese traditional food

One of the most popular chinese traditional food is the Hannan Chicken Rice, Tangerine, Beijing Roasted Duck, and Dim Sum. During the Chinese New Year, they celebrate with Yee Sang food. Yee Sang is a type of salad that is traditionally prepared with raw fish, carrots, daikon, cucumber, pickled ginger, pomelo, peanuts, sesame seeds, pillow crackers, five spice powder, pepper, oil and plum sauce.

3. Indian culture

Today the Indian community accounts for about 7% of Malaysia's population and is considered the third largest single ethnic group in Malaysia. Much of the unique Malaysian Indian culture stems from Hindus who brought their tradition, delicious cuisine, and ethnic clothes to Malaysia.

Indian festival

One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism is Deepavali. Deepavali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance".

Traditional Indian attire

Traditional clothing For men, traditional clothes are the , Lungi, Kurta, Angarkha,  or Kurta Pajama. Additionally, recently western clothing such as trousers and shirts have been accepted as traditional Indian dress by the Government of India. Traditional Indian clothing for women in the north and east are saris worn with choli tops; a long skirt called a lehenga worn with choli and a dupatta scarf to create an ensemble called a ghagra choli; or shalwar kameez suits, while many south Indian women traditionally wear sari and children wear pattu langa.

Indian Traditional food

 

Also knowns as roti prata, this dish is Indian-influenced flatbread. A popular breakfast and snack dish in Malaysia, and roti canai is also one of the most famous examples of Malaysian Indian cuisine. It is said that the dish was brought over from India by Indian Muslims, also known as Mamaks, making it abundantly available in mamak stalls throughout the country. Traditionally, roti canai is served with dal (lentil) curry but in Malaysia, most mamaks also serve roti canai with a side of chicken or fish curry and sambal (a sweet and spicy hot sauce made from chillies and a variety of spices).

Why does  young people needs to continue their culture from generation to generation?

The younger generation must preserve the identity of the people who came before them. Also, they need to follow the same practices and manners. So that they prevent any change in the cultural heritage during their lifetime. Keeping our history alive improves our environment.