Colors of Malaysia

Colors of Malaysia, is month-long celebration of Malaysia’s rich multicultural and multi-ethnic heritage. The festival which is locally known as ‘Citrawana’ is an annual celebration slated for the month of May each year. The celebration of the kick-off event for ‘Citrawana’ this year is schedule for the 18th of May.
This grand cultural extravaganza will be held at the city center Dataran Merdeka (Freedom Square) of the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur and will feature the participation of approximately 4000 dancers and musicians. Each of Malaysia’s thirteen states will participate in this glittering celebration consisting of a parade that extends over one and half kilometers. By way of their participation, the states seek to showcase the fascinating multicultural social fabric of Malaysia. These various Malaysian states make use of traditional song and dance presentations to illustrate this truly unique aspect of Malaysian society.
The states’ performances are usually full of vigor and passion, and never fail to mesmerize the huge crowds that congregate for the event. Aside from rejoicing Malaysia’s great cultural diversity, these dynamic recitals also aim to draw attention to the country’s brilliant future.
The flag-off Citrawana parade is usually followed by a celebration of all things Malaysian in the form of grand pageants, carnivals, cultural expositions and feasts. All these various festivities associated with ‘Citrawana’ seek to highlight Malaysia’s various traditional arts and crafts along with its rich cuisine, believed to be truly representative of the melting pot that is Malaysia, a country home to a population made up Malays, Chinese, Indians and the Orang-Asli (indigenous aboriginal people) peoples.
The idea of the ‘Citrawana/ Colors of Malaysia’ festival was conceived by the Malaysian government in an effort to boost tourism to the country. To further give impetus to this effort, the retail and hospitality sectors of Malaysia also offer attractive rebates to both international and domestic visitors so as to encourage them to visit Malaysia and its various diverse regions as they shop for traditional, Malaysian arts and crafts like pewter, batik, songket, beaded slippers, wood carvings and feast on delicious Malaysian eats.
Hence if you choose to visit during the month of Citrawana, you are likely to be surrounded by expositions of the ‘real’ Malaysia in the form of myriad cultural performances. So don’t be surprised, if the staff at your hotel in Malaysia break out in song and dance during your stay, for they are only introducing you to the vibrant ‘colors’ that make up the fascinating country that is  Malaysia

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