It had comes to the last day of the year 2017. An eventful year had comes to an end. The new year will be arrived when the midnight bell struck 12.

The year 2017 is allot of happenings in both local and internationally, which some are joys while others are hurts. Lost in great leaders, Lost of lifes, Local and Global conflicts, Politics and Financial turmoils, Fears of natural disasters, and the list goes on and on.

The 2018 will be a year full of hope, dreams and anticipation. There is great plans in mind and bucket list full of pending dreams to complete. Take a deep breath, make a new year wish, and it will be a better day tomorrow.

Public Holiday and School Holidays in Sarawak of year 2018

The Public holiday and School Holidays calendar had been out some time, have you had any plans ahead? We have a simple calendar below for your reference.

Great Destination ahead – Visit Miri Year 2018

Year 2018 is Visit Miri Year in Sarawak ! so plan early for your flight to Miri while seats are selling fast.

The tagline is ‘Discover Miri, Uniquely Borneo’. It will be a great spin-off towards local landmark and natural tourism, cultural, hotels and accommodation, and also food industry.

Many events will be taking place throughout the year 2018 in Miri Tourism City. The most spectacular is the Miri Mat Fest which will be taken place in month of May. Not to forget that the countdown event to the launching of Visit Miri Year 2018 at Marina Central Park on Dec 31 2017.

Some 30 events have been proposed for VMY 2018, including

• Opening Ceremony of Miri Handicraft Centre
• Sarawak Native Festival
• Miss Grand Miri Pageant
• Miri pet expo
• Miri Mural Art Exhibition
• Malaysia Dragon Temple Krokop 5 – 40th Anniversary
• International Confrence on Sustainable Building Asia (SBE2018)
• Southeast Asia Poet Convention
• Borneo Jazz Festival 2018
• Miri Color Rush Run 2018
• Afro Latin Confrence
• International Deep Sea Fishing Tournament
• 11th Miri City Day
• Miri International Marathon
• Miri Country Music Festival
• reunion events for Curtin University, Shell and Petronas

There is various daily flights available to Miri Tourism City with offers by Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia and Firefly Airline. Book your dates and flight now.

Not to forget that Miri App had been launched featuring comprehensive information on tourist attractions, eateries, accommodation and transportation facilities across the city and its surrounding areas.

Available in both Android and IOS

Download from google play store.

Download from Apple itunes store

Great Events ahead in the Year 2018

Wondering what events will be unfolding in the new year ahead in Sarawak ? Sarawak Tourism Board have a good list of events that you might interested.

• Kuching Heritage Race 2018 (January 27, 2018) @ Kuching ,Sarawak
• Miri AfroLatin Fiesta 2018(March 2, 2018 – March 4, 2018) @ Meritz Hotel, Bintang Megamall, Miri
• Miri Marathon 2018 (March 18, 2018) @ Miri
• World Harvest Festival 2018 (April 27, 2018 – April 29, 2018) @ Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching
• Miri May Fest 2018 (May 1, 2018 – May 31, 2018) @ Miri
• Sibu Street Art Festival (May 5, 2018 – May 12, 2018) @ Sibu
• Miri City International Deep Sea Fishing Tournament 2018 (May 10, 2018 – May 13, 2018) @ Miri
• Borneo Jazz Festival 2018 (May 11, 2018 – May 12, 2018) @ Parkcity Everly Hotel, Miri
• Gawai Carnival Redeems 2018 (May 25, 2018 – May 26, 2018) @ Redeems Centre, Bau Kuching
• Lun Bawang Festival (Irau Aco) (June 1, 2018 – June 3, 2018) @ Dataran Bandar Lawas, Lawas
• Borneo Cultural Festival 2018 (July 19, 2018 – July 28, 2018) @ Sibu Town Square, Sibu
• Kuching Marathon 2018 (August 12, 2018) @ Padang Merdeka, Kuching

Great Movies ahead in the Year 2018

Year 2018 will be another year full of anticipation. Trailers of up coming movies makes us drool in excitements.

Some of the Great Anticipated movies for the year 2018 are:

• Maze Runner: The Death Cure (January 2018)
• Day of the Dead: Bloodline (January 2018)
• Insidious: The Last Key (January 2018)
• Black Panther (February 2018)
• Pacific Rim Uprising (March 2018)
• Tomb Raider (March 2018)
• Wreck-It Ralph 2 (March 2018)
• Avengers: Infinity War (April 2018)
• Deadpool 2 (May 2018)
• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 2018)
• The Incredibles 2 (June 2018)
• Ocean’s 8 (June 2018)
• Mission: Impossible 6 (July 2018)
• Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 2018)
• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (July 2018)
• Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (July 2018)
• The Predator (August 2018)
• The Equalizer 2 (August 2018)
• X-Men: Dark Phoenix (November 2018)
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (December 2018)

Ready your popcorn and your tickets at your nearby cinemas available. For more information, stay tune on the listing at your nearest cinemas.

Notable Cinemas in Sarawak includes :

• Golden Screen Cinemas
  CityOne Mega Mall, Kuching
  Bintang Megamall, Miri
• TGV Cinemas
  Vivacity Megamall, Kuching
  Imperial City Mall, Miri
• MBO Cinemas
  Spring Mall, Kuching
• mmCineplexes
  Riverside Kuching, Kuching
  Summer Mall, Kuching

What is Mid-Autumn Festival ? Lets find out more .

The Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, or known as Mooncake Festival or in Chinese –中秋节. It is a harvest festival celebrated by the Chinese ethnic throughout the world. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.

It is a night of full moon, where Chinese family gathers around the garden and watch the moon bathed night while eating mooncakes with children holding lantern and walking around.

The meaning of Mid-Autumn festival span deep beyond just mooncakes and lantern. It is the day of gathering and thanksgiving.

The round and bright moon in the sky signify family reunion. Families members from far and near come together and celebrate the festival together. The Chinese culture emphasis on reunion as in a busy farming, commercial and industrial society, family members tends to spread across land and oceans, from the east side of the globe to the west, there is only twice a year where families can have opportunity to meet each other. The main reunion occasions are the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the theme of reunion, there is a reason why mooncakes are moon shaped or round in shape. Round means goes around and back to the root.

Mid-Autumn is also a time for thanksgiving. It is particularly true in the Northern Hemisphere. In a agriculture society, Mid-Autumn corresponding to the near end of the yearly Harvest. The upcoming winter is cold and not suitable for farming and hence all crops needs to be harvested before winter sets in. Hence Mid-Autumn Festival is also called as Harvest Festival. After the tiring harvest, families gather around and have a thanksgiving reunion.

Mid-Autumn Festival, for some who believe moon worship, is also a time for thanksgiving and praying for conceptual or material satisfaction – such as asking for offspring, partner, beauty, longevity and good future.

Mid-Autumn Festival and Moon Worship

The Chinese have celebrated the harvest during the autumn full moon since the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). The celebration as a festival only started to gain popularity during the early Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). There are many different stories and ancient fable circulates around regarding the festival.

Moon worship is an important part of the festival celebration in the beginning, which some may still practice today. In some areas of china, the customs of Men worship the moon and women offer sacrifices to the kitchen gods.

One of the myths that might explain the origin of moon worship is the myths associates with Chang’e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality. There is few version of the myth, however it still tells the story of how Chang’e become Immortal and resided in the moon after she face a great dilemma and drank a bottle of elixir of immortality. It is a story of sacrifices that had to make when facing a great dilemma.

According to Chinese folklore, the Jade Rabbit was an animal that lived on the moon and accompanied Chang’e. Some speculated because the shadow of the moon surface looks like a rabbit.

However, since the Neil Armstrong had visited the moon and there is no signs of any existence of Chang’e or any known civilizations, neither any rabbits around the moon, the myth is remains as a Chinese folklore.

Mid-Autumn Festival in Modern World

In modern times, Mid-Autumn Festival remains as an occasion for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the moon. It is known to be the brightest of the year, but may still be debatable.

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration comes in different practices. Some still practice burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang’e. In majority there is features of lantern, floating sky lanterns, lanterns riddle, Mooncakes, dragon and lion dances, Courtship and matchmaking. It is a celebration of fun, enjoyments, and romance.

Lanterns and Mooncakes in the modern world are synonymous to the Festival itself.

Lanterns during the festival does not have a specific origin, but it symbolize celebration, happiness and hope. Lanterns brighten up the dark nights streets and guide the way affront. Modern lanterns can have many shapes and sizes, ranging for traditional paper lantern with burning candles to battery operated figure lanterns.

Floating Sky Lanterns are also been practiced, mainly is for prayers and hope. Floating sky lanterns is usually attached with a message that raise to the above together with the bright burning lanterns.

Mooncakes on the other hand is one of the hallmark of the festival. The round shape of the mooncake symbolize reunion and completeness. The mooncakes is usually sliced into equal divisions and share among the family. As a slice, each member is independent, but as a whole, the family is complete and united. However there are also many other different shape of mooncakes, like the animal-shaped mooncakes, which remains popular with the children.

Some mooncakes are sold in elegant boxes for presentation purposes. This act as a elegant gifts during the festival which can be given to family, friends, relatives and even co-worker and business partner.

Some of the tradition involves eating cassia cakes and candy, and drinking cassia wine (reunion wine).

Mid-Autumn Festival in Malaysia Context

In a country nearing the equator, Malaysia is blessed with year round of rain and sun. There is no worries of cold snowy winter or hot blazing summer.

Malaysian Chinese still celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival because partly it is deep embed in the Chinese culture, but the more importantly is the Family Reunion. The festival reminds us about the important of reunion.

Many are engaging in busy city life, some involve in agriculture, some in business and some in industry. We seldom have time to actually gather around. Even there is modern mobile devices and established connection that try to shorten the distance between family, but the gap is still too far. Hence twice a year family reunion is still observed by many Chinese.

So whatever the reasons of celebrating this wonderful festival, we wish all the Chinese Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. May the reunion of families brings joy and happiness.

Malaysia day is held yearly on 16th September to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian Federation since year 1963. It is on the 16th September 1963 that Malaya (now Malaysian peninsula or west Malaysia which consist of 11 states created under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957) , North Borneo (now Sabah) , Singapore and Sarawak all join and form the Malaysian Federation. But later Singapore seceded on 9 August 1965.

Malaysia Day is a national holiday across all the states since the year 2010 , However this year 2017 it falls on a Saturday. Despite a weekend holiday, many still can take opportunity to celebrate this historical significant day.

So how will you celebrate this day ?