Religion & Culture

The main festive celebrations observed by people in the district include Kaamatan, Aidil Fitri, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

The Bruneians (so called because they were originally from Brunei), Bisaya, Kadayan and Bajau are Muslims, each with their own unique culture. Aidil Fitri (Hari Raya) is celebrated with gusto, with sounds of firing bamboo canons, and the reunion of family members. They traditionally have open houses during this period where friends and neighbours are welcomed.

The Dusun Tatana are mostly Christians, the majority of whom are Roman Catholics, a legacy left by European Christian missionaries who started the first school and church in Bundu (1884). There are a number who follow the Seventh Day Adventist and the True Jesus churches. There are also some who are Buddhists or Muslims but there are now very few animists.

However, whatever belief they follow, Chinese New Year always sees the gathering of the clans, as most Dusun Tatana families celebrate this festival. This is the one time when offsprings and siblings return home from whichever corner of the country they are in, for the family reunion. Chinese New Year celebration is the legacy of the Chinese merchants who had sailed into the shores of Kuala Penyu, intermarried with the locals and passed on their customs and traditions.