In Mizoram, there are three main festivals in a year. Festivals are called
Kut in Mizo language. The three Kuts are Chapchar Kut, Mim Kut and Pawl Kut.
All the three festivals are connected with agricultural activities. The
festivals are celebrated with feasts and dances.
Chapchar Kut was celebrated after completion of the cutting of jhums. It
was a thanksgiving festival. The villagers faced many dangers and
difficulties in cutting down dense forests with their simple Daos and axes.
They would organise a big feast in the month of March to celebrate the
success in jhum cutting. The festival continued for seven days and even
beyond if the villagers would afford it. A few days before the day is fixed
for the festivities, hunting parties from the village would go out in the
forests and rivers for hunting wild animals, trapping birds and catching
fish. On this occasion Zu would be brewed in a large quantity.
On the first day of the festival, pigs would be killed by the members of
the chief's clan for the feast. Pork in big quantities would be eaten and
lot of Zu would be consumed. This day was called Lushai Vawk Tlah Ni which
literally means the day on which the Lushias kill pigs. On the second day,
members of the other clans in the village would kill their pigs for the
village feast. On the third day, which was known as Kut day, Zu would be
taken in the houses in which someone had died during the year. On this day
before sunset in the evening people particularly mother and children dressed
in their best would gather in the open space in the village at the Lungdawh,
which is a stone platform put up as a memorial to the dead, bringing with
them rice, boiled eggs and meat. One would try to force the food down the
throat of one's friends. This was known as Chhawnghnawt. After sunset the
young boys and girls would get together in the houses of
well-to-do-villagers. They would spend the night in drinking, singing and
dancing.
The next day was known as Zupui Ni which was the day of drinking a
particular type of liquor called Zupui which was brewed from well husked
rice. In the evening before sunset, young men and girls dressed in their
best would gather in the open space of the village for singing and dancing.
They formed a circle in which the young men would have their arms across
girls who would alternate between the boys. Within the circle would be the
drummer or gong beater, who would chant while the young people would sing
and move slowly keeping time with the song. This dance was known as Chai
dance. During the dance, the children of the village would go on serving the
dancing boys and girls Zu of the best variety in bamboo cups.
The next day was called Zuthingni or the day of drinking a special type of
Zu. On this day there would be a general dance in the village. Zu drinking
would go on. The dance would continue day and night until the Zu supply
would run short. The last day of the festival was known as Ziapur ni or the
day of rest after eating and drinking. On this day people would relax after
hectic days of festivals. They would not go out to the jungle which was
believed would bring bad luck.
Mim
Kut
The Mim Kut was a festival celebrated before the hard work in the jhum was
over. It would take place in September. The festival lasting for one or two
days would be in memory of someone who had died during the previous year.
Fresh vegetables, maize bread, necklaces and cloth would be placed on the
memorials of the dead as offerings to them. It was believed that their
spirits would revisit their house during the Mim Kut. Zu would be taken in
houses in which someone had died during the year. On the second day
everybody would have a meal of bread.
Pawl Kut
Pawl Kut was the harvest festival which was celebrated after the village
had gathered its harvest. Lasting for one to two days, the villagers would
feast and dance in thanksgiving for the harvest.
There is a legend regarding the origin of this festival. In the olden days
when the Mizos were living to the east of the Tiau river in the chin hills,
which is now in Burma, there was famine for three consecutive years. In the
fourth year the people had a bumper crop. The people believed that this was
a blessing of the supreme god and as a thanksgiving they celebrated Pawl
Kut.
It was customary for everyone to eat meat and eggs during Pawl Kut. A few
days before the day is fixed for the feast, the men would go out hunting
wild animals, trapping birds or fishing. One would get as much meat as one's
means would permit. Even the poorest would kill at least a fowl for the
household feast. As in Chapchar Kut, mothers and children would gather
together at the Lungdawh bringing with them plates of rice, boiled eggs and
meat and feed one another performing Chhawnghnawt. The youngmen and girls
would also attend the Chhawnghnawt. The men would gather in the houses of
well-to-do persons and Zu would be drunk. The festivities were followed by
Eipuar Awm Ni or the day of rest. As Christianity spreads in Mizoram these
festivals gradually faded out.
