KUCHING: For Stephanie Goh, celebrating festive occasions is about upholding family traditions and cultural heritage.
An important part of each celebration is putting up seasonal decorations to complement her collection of Sarawakian crafts, including Bidayuh mats and padi baskets and Iban pua kumbu textiles.
“In Sarawak, we are unique because there are a lot of intermarriages. So our decorations are mixed with a lot of different influences,” the housewife-turned-entrepreneur said.
Goh, who has an Iban grandmother and Bidayuh husband, celebrates Chinese New Year, Gawai and Christmas with her family.
She would get her sons to help decorate the house for Chinese New Year and Christmas to instil family values and appreciate their mixed heritage.
“For me, tradition is very important. When my kids were small, we would decorate the house together and do spring cleaning during Chinese New Year.
“During Gawai, we will go back to the village and do gotong royong. It’s an opportunity to teach them how to be thankful and appreciate what we have.
“So my kids are exposed to both Chinese and Bidayuh culture. It’s important for them to know their roots.
“And we also celebrate Christmas because we are Christians,” she said.
For Christmas, Goh has blended festive decorations and traditional handicrafts at her family-run private dining venue at Jalan Stutong here.
Christmas trees and fabric poinsettia flowers share the space with woven mats and traditional baskets repurposed as lamp shades.
The floor is lined with woven mats resembling an “awah”, the traditional Bidayuh communal veranda, while old padi baskets and traditional textiles decorate the walls.
“My husband built this place as a kampung house in the city. We love to share our culture and food with friends here.
“It wasn’t meant for business, but after we hosted one or two private dinners, it gradually expanded,” Goh said, adding that she enjoyed the opportunity to decorate the tables for her guests.
