Festivities and public holidays in Malaysia
Every year you can visit many festivities (national festivals) in Malaysia. This is mainly because every different population has its own special festivities. Some festivities apply to each citizen, others for specific populations. Usually all Malaysians have public holidays during a festivity. Below you can find a list with all festivities, based on the many different populations in Malaysia.
On this page:
General festivals
- 31 August: Independence Day (Hari Merdeka)
- 16 September: Formation Federation Malaysia (only on Sabah)
- 1 May: Labor Day
- 1e Saturday of June: Kings Birthday
Islamic festivals
- Hari Raya Puasa (Hari Raya Aidilfitri) *
- Hari Raya Haji: Celebration on the 70th day after Ramadan
- Awal Muharram: Islamic new year
- Maulidul Rasul: Birth of the prophet
Chinese festivals
- Chinese new year **
- Qingming Festival
- Dragon Boat Festival
- Mid-Autumn Festival
- Vesak Day: Only for Chinese Buddhists
Chinese new year
- Rat (Zi): February 19, 1996 - February 7, 2008
- Ox (Chou): Februari 7, 1997 - Januari 26, 2009
- Tiger (Yin): Januari 28, 1998 - Februari 14, 2010
- Rabbit (Mao): Februari 16, 1999 - Februari 3, 2011
- Dragon (Chen): Februari 5, 2000 - Januari 23, 2012
- Snake (Si): Januari 24, 2001 - Februari 10, 2013
- Horse (Wu): Februari 12, 2002 - Januari 31, 2014
- Scheep (Wei): Februari 1, 2003 - Februari 19, 2015
- Monkey (Shen): Januari 22, 2004 - Februari 8, 2016
- Rooster (You): Februari 9, 2005 - Januari 28, 2017
- Dog (Xu): Januari 29, 2006 - Februari 16, 2018
- Pig (Hai): Februari 18, 2007 - Februari 5, 2019
Hinduist's festivals
- Deepavali (Diwali) (October - December)
- Thaipusam (January - March)
- Vaisaki: is only celebrated by Sikhs
Other special holidays or festivals in Malaysia
- Holy Friday (Or Good Friday)
- Christmas Eve
- New Years Eve
- Hari Gawai of the Ibans (Dayaks)
- Pesta Menuai
* End of Ramadan (No fixed date, this changes yearly).
** The celebration differs per year; in 2007 new year fell on the 18th of February. In 2008, it fell on the 7th February. The festival lasts 15 days, and ends with the so-called 'Chap Goh Mei' celebration.
Below: Fireworks display at New Years Eve 2011 at KLCC Park (right in front of Suria KLCC shopping mall and Petronas Twin Towers).
More pages with information about Malaysia
- Climate and monsoon
- Country information
- Facts and details
- Flora and fauna
- Food and famous dishes
- Geography
- History and historical facts
- Hygiene and healthcare
- Newspaper headlines
- Politics and political system
- Population and demographics
- Public holidays and national festivals
- Top 10 highlights and attractions
- Tourism events
- Visa information
