One of the traditional food of the Bajau is Kima. Kima is a species of cockles that Bajau people usually eat raw after being sliced into smaller pieces and added with lime water and other spices according to the favour of the person. It can also be dried under the sun before being cooked with vegetables.
Kima
Pieces of kima
Types of kima
Besides, Bajaus also eat sagol, a type of traditional food made from puffer fish and stingray meat. The meat is minced and added with tumeric before being served. To make the sagol tastes better, liver oil from puffer fish or stingray is used instead of using palm oil.
Sagol
Bajau's traditional dance is known as 'Tarian Daling-Daling'. This dance was preserved by the bajau in Philipine. This action, that prevent the culture of Bajau from being extinct, has encouraged Bajau in Sabah (Malaysia) to bring up and develop the arts of 'Tarian Daling-Daling' especially among the younger generations.
The word 'Daling-Daling' in Bajau means movement of the whole body according to the beat or tempo. This dance used to be an entertaiment in wedding ceremony. A singer will recite poem during the dance. Musical instrument that use in this dance is called 'Gabang'.
Research found that 'Tarian Daling-Daling' becomes more lively and entertaining when it was danced by a pair of couple or in 'Magbono' situation.
Bajaus used to practice animism in nature traditionally; a variety of spiritual beings interact with humans beings both positively and negatively. For instance, people are discouraged from being going out on bare foot alone at night owing to the presence of spirit of the death, or ghoulish creatures that seek to eat babies or the flesh of recently deceased people.
However, most Bajaus have subscribed to both traditional and islamic beliefs in this contemporary, like practicing some of some of the islamic customs like performing alms, fasting during the month of the Ramadhan, performing daily prayers and prayers associated with special days or events in Islamic calender. Minor of Bajaus even have converted to Christianity.
A Bajau wedding is different with the Malay Wedding that epitomizes the notion of 'Raja Sehari'. A buffet is held beneath a tent where the guests can enjoying their food while waiting for the groom. There will be a group of teenagers playing 'sepak manggis' nearby. It is similar to sepak takraw but without net.
Beautiful mats and cloths line the wall insides while the copper trays fill the shelves. The bride for this Bajau wedding will prepared herself here. She will be wearing in a copper headgear, a traditional Bajau blouse with sleeves 3 inches longer than the tip of her fingers and a long skirt draped with Bajau motif.
Sounds of gongs, big and small, herald the arrival of the groom of the Bajau wedding. It is easy to identify the groom. He will be wearing a bright yellow upper garment and a headdress. He has to appear on a horseback because Bajaus of Kota Belud is famous as ' Cowboys Of The East '. An escort holds a parasol over his head. He will ride through a path leading to his bride's house decorated with colourful pennons and he has to stop in front of a huge pennon at the front door. Of course, Members of the bride's household flock out to grant him permission to enter.
As the groom in a Bajau wedding, groom is not allowed to walk. two escort strech out their arms to carry him. at the balcony, a performance of malay martial art and Bajau traditional dance welcome him. The escort deposit groom on a special mat where the kadi greets him and proceeded to carry out the solemnization. After the poem is recited, the dividing curtain behind groom is pulled apart to reveal his bride sitting in a dais.
Groom will take out a handkerchief, waves it three times around his bride's head before leaving it on her lap. Next, he places his thumb on his palate and with it, he touches the bride's forehead to signify 'till death do us apart'. As the couple sit side by side on the dais, Bajau singers dancers entertain those present, serenade by a band of musicians at the balcony.
When the marriage ceremony is over, the couple greet their new-in-laws and relatives. The family's meal are served individually on trays covered with lids. There days later, the newlyweds go to the groom's house to stay there for a day. Then they to the bride's home to receive gifts in forms of kitchen utensils such as glasses, plates and bowls. This symbolizes blessing from their parents to build happy family.
The wedding ceremony
Traditional dance custome
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