The Zomi people celebrate two major festivals every year: Lawm Annek (Kinsfolk Reunion Festival) and Khuado (Harvest Festival). Lawm Annek is held in April after the sowing of seeds, while Khuado takes place in October after the harvest. Khuado is similar to Thanksgiving Day in America, but it is a season-long celebration rather than just a one-day event.
The word Khuado literally means “fighting the evil spirits” in the village. Khua stands for Khua-sia (evil spirits) and Do means fight. To support this meaning, there is an old Zomi song composed for the occasion:
a) Kum kikhen e, sol kha dang e, zin in vangkhua zong hen aw.
b) Zin in vangkhua lam zong hen aw, sian sung tui bang siang hen aw.
Meaning: The New Year is now coming, the month has been turning away; let the evil spirits be fleeting to their abodes. When they have been leaving us, let our houses be free from threats of all spiteful material objects.
Khuado is a grand and special period of celebration performed after the harvest by the Zomi since ancient times. It is held annually in October. Like Lawm Annek, Khuado is also a Kinsfolk Reunion Festival, but it is broader in scope. It involves not just a particular clan but also like-minded persons from different clans who form an association called Lawm with its headquarters where they perform the festival.
One of the members of the Lawm volunteers to play the host, whose house becomes their headquarters. Those who can afford to be generous towards any accessory requirements during the function are the most suitable candidates to hold the headquarters. Traditionally, the headman of the village is often the host of the Lawm.
There is also another association affiliated with the Lawm called Sawm. Sawm is like a club where young lads of the same village sleep together at night in a dormitory called Hamtung, a raised platform beside the parlour of the house. These lads bring their own blankets to warm themselves throughout the night and return home in the morning. They attend daily at the Sawm under the leadership of an older lad called Sawm-u-pa, with about thirty or more members called Sawm-nau-pang or Sawm-te.
The Sawm-te have a splendid unity. They utilize their time for Sawm-lo-kuan, which means they work at the field of a member of the Sawm to earn a Sawm-vok (a pig for Sawmte) raised by a member of the Sawm for the Khuado Festival. They have different numbers of Sawm-vok according to the required number of pigs for the Khuado Celebration.
On the second day of Khuado, the Sawm-te take Ngaltun (Hornet-nest) for Khuado after sundown. They are called Khuai-la-te (Those who took hornet-nest). When they secure the Ngaltun, they head homeward. Upon reaching home, all the villagers welcome them with Zo-zu (Millet wine). After the Khuai-la-te arrive, all the members of Sawm-te and other villagers participate in dancing with gusto, singing songs like:
a) Vah khuai hang sang hang zawng e, sawm kholh gual aw, hau tun nun ning bel nah gual ve aw.
b) Hau tun nun ning bel nah gual ve aw, leng keel tang khau in nah khih ve aw.
Meaning: We, Sawm-te, are much more intrepid than the ferocious hornets. So, let the hornets broach many pots of Zu and line up along with a goat being tethered with rope for the celebration.
For this purpose, a hornet-nest is reserved, and the Siampipa (the Priest) uses a red rooster and a pot of Zu for the sacrificial rite to the hornet, which is presumed to foretell the future. The cock is killed, and the flesh is cut into pieces and offered to the hornets. Blowing a mouthful of Zu by Siampipa towards the nest with some incantations follows this. The hornet-nest is burned and removed from the post to be examined by Siampi, who makes a careful observation of clusters of larvae on the flat surface of the hives. In this manner, he predicts the probable happenings to the village. Concerning this, there is a famous song:
a) Kah lo nawl a khuai aw e, sim ngal tun aw, nang in kum khua nah thei aa ken dong.
b) Nang in kum khua nah thei a ken dong, ning zu a ken dong, ai sa a ken dong.
Meaning: You hornet that built your nest in close proximity to my farm. As you know the portent of the future, I herewith offer you the meat and liquor for telling the truth.
In the olden days, this song was popular among the Zomi Animists, and during Khuado, it became one of the most popular songs sung by revelers dancing in a circle. Other popular Khuado songs include:
a) Do na lingling, do na ling ling e, gual in kum khua do na ling ling e.
b) Gual in kum khua do na ling ling e, do han ah nau bang ka kap hi e.
Meaning: All villagers are in full swing celebrating the Khuado festival, whereas I am mourning for the dead in the sepulcher.
a) Ka lo veng ten a kah hawh kalin, tulit in kah tang han tuah sak e.
b) Git aw e, va aw e, ka cih kal in, ah vui lian pen pen han tuah sak e.
Meaning: While paying a visit to my neighbor next to my farm, some sparrows were fetching out the ears of the millet. Despite my bawling to the birds, the biggest of the millet ears was flown away.
The difference between Lawm Annek and Khuado is that in the former, there is no dancing except when Sawng is celebrated during the festival. However, in Khuado, dancing is the hallmark of the festivity.
