Christmas Carnival on Gaya Street

Originally submitted via CNN's iReport. Picked up as part of their CNN Celebrates series.

BCCM Dancers Performing at the Gaya Street Christmas Celebration - Dec 2012

Kota Kinabalu (KK) is the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah on the Island of Borneo. Although Islam is the majority religion nationwide, in this part of the country Christmas really shines.

Every December the Sabah Council of Churches and City Government work together to sponsor a Christmas Carnival along Gaya Street in the heart of downtown KK. The centerpiece is a 'Nativity Hut' and Christmas Tree surrounded in a flurry of 'snow' that floats past all of the palm trees lining the square. Up and down the street one finds vendors hawking their wares, selling delicious treats, and charities raising money for the needy. Church groups gather on street corners to sing Christmas Carols ('Feliz Navidad' is particularly popular) while singers and dancers from Sabah's different ethnic communities take to the mainstage. The celebration concludes with fireworks exploding overhead.

The Carnival, to me at least, is a fascinating reminder of the Malaysia's diverse, multi-cultural and multi-religious identity. Read the vetted story here.