Foreign language faculty research assigment

Traditional games in Malaysia


Making and flying colorful "wow" kites in Malaysia is considered a favorite pastime for people of all ages. On the east coast of Malacca, the mass launch of these giant "air toys" is timed to coincide with the end of the rice harvest.

Peasant flying a kite

The most popular Malay team game, sepak takraw, perfectly reflected the sense of collectivism inherent in the national character. The rules here are simple - do not let the wicker ball touch the ground by hitting it with any part of the body, except for the forearms and hands. The ancient version of this game “sepak raga bulatan” took place on a round court, and the rules of its more modern version “sepak takrau jaring” provide for playing on a rectangular field divided into 2 parts by a net, like in volleyball.

The most popular intellectual entertainment in Malaysia is considered to be not chess, but the game "chongkak", which is traditionally preferred by local women. For this fun, you need 2 players, a special wooden board with deep holes, a set of marble balls or pebbles and a mathematical calculation.

Girls playing chongkak

Sepak takraw players perform spectacular jump kicks

Oddly enough, spinning tops in Malaysia is by no means considered exclusively child's play. Spinning a giant gasping top, weighing up to 5 kg, so that it continues to move for an hour or more is not possible for every adult lover of this exotic fun.

Malay costume
Cultural diversity and rich traditions of weaving have made the traditional costume of Malaysia surprisingly diverse and aesthetically appealing. For the manufacture of folk costumes, a wide range of fabrics is used - from bright waxed batik to amazingly beautiful songket brocade fabric or pua kumb fabric decorated with intricate embroidery. Traditionally, the wedding attire of the Malay newlyweds is decorated with luxurious gold embroidery “tekat”.
The Malay women's costume traditionally consists of a combination of a loose knee-length blouse with a long skirt, called "baju kurung". The outfit is complemented by a selendang shawl or a tudung head scarf. The men's attire, called "baja melaya", consists of a loose blouse and trousers, combined with a long piece of "sampin" fabric wrapped around the waist.
I n addition to the Malay costume, traditional outfits of many nationalities and ethnic groups inhabiting the Malay Peninsula and Borneo are common in the country. Graceful cheongsams (“long dresses”) of Chinese ladies are mixed in crowded cities with colorful Indian saris, elegant kebaya blouses worn by baba nyonya - descendants of the first Chinese settlers and strict dresses with lace aprons left as a legacy of the Portuguese colonialists. The most exotic look is the national costumes of the peoples of Sarawak, in which the tribal traditions of dozens of peoples inhabiting Borneo are mixed.