How Does Your Local Culture Influence Everyday Life?

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Every culture has unique traditions, customs, and values that shape the way people live their daily lives. From food and festivals to language and social norms, our local culture plays a big role in our identity.
• What are some unique cultural traditions in your area?
• How does your local culture influence daily interactions, work, or celebrations?
• Are there any cultural practices that you think should be preserved or modernised?

Let’s share our experiences and learn about each other’s cultures! 🌍🎭

workalicious

I’m from Dusun Kimaragang, a small village in Sabah, Malaysia, and I just thought I’d share a bit about our culture and traditions. It’s something I’m really proud of, and I think more people should know about it 😊

Some of Our Traditions
1. Harvest Festival (Pesta Kaamatan)
This is one of the biggest events for us! It’s all about celebrating the harvest and giving thanks. There’ll be traditional dances, music, and soooo much good food. The vibes are always so fun and festive, everyone comes together.

2. Traditional Dances Sumazau
You’ve probably heard of the Sumazau dance if you’ve been to Sabah. It’s not just a performance, it’s a spiritual thing too. The movements are slow and graceful, usually done in pairs, and the traditional costumes make it even more meaningful.

3. Crafts & Beadwork
Our women are amazing at weaving and beadwork. It’s more than just art, every design has its own story. A lot of it’s done by hand and passed down from older generations.

How It Shows Up in Daily Life
• How we interact
People here are super warm and respectful. We’re really community-based, so everyone knows each other and looks out for one another. Elders are respected a lot. Their advice still matters, especially during family or village decisions.

• Work life
A lot of us still work in farming, crafting, or tourism. Many of the farming techniques are traditional, and crafts are still made the old-school way, no machines, just skills passed down from nenek and makcik.

• Celebrations
Whether it’s a wedding or a harvest party, it’s always lively. Everyone joins in even if you’re not directly involved, you’ll still show up, eat, help out, and celebrate together.

Keeping It Alive (and Fresh)
There are some things we really need to preserve like our crafts and the Sumazau dance. They’re such a big part of our identity.

But I also think some things can be modernised. Like with education, it’s important for the younger generation to know our culture, but also get access to knowledge and skills for today’s world. And technology too! Using social media or even TikTok to promote our dances or sell crafts online can really help keep our culture alive and relevant.

That’s just a little peek into life and culture here in Dusun Kimaragang. I’m super proud of where I come from, and I hope more people will get to see how special it is 💙