Simbol dalam Makan Tahun Masyarakat Kadayan, Sarawak

This research is about the role of symbolic ritual of Makan Tahun among the Kadayan community in Sarawak.The ritual is very importance to this community due to the reason that their livelihood is centered around the cultivation ofpadi. This ritual is a thanksgiving ceremony as a way to express their gratitude to the god. It is also a symbolic tool to unite their society which experienced conflicts either between individual or groups. Data for this study had been collected from direct observations during the performance of the ritual. It is found that the practice of this ritual is a form of syncretism, namely, intermingling animism elements with Islamic elements. The major figures who undertake this ritual are the bomoh (shaman) and syncretism-ustaz. Although it is syncretism, the ritual is acceptable to the society.