The origins of the Khuado Festival are deeply rooted in the history and traditions of the Zomi people. Khuado, which are also known as the Zomi New Year or the Zomi Harvest Festival, is the most significant festival on the Zomi calendar. It is celebrated during the Zomi months of Phal kha and Kau kha (September and October) when the weather is pleasant and the harvest season is over. Some claim that Khuado has been celebrated since the Ciimnuai era, around the time of headman Innpipa, Pu Tuah Ciang, around 1400 AD. This would mean that Khuado has been celebrated for over 600 years. Others believe that its origins could date back even further, to the Zomi kingdom in central Burma (Myanmar) around 800 AD or earlier. This suggests that Khuado has been a part of Zomi culture for over 1200 years. The festival combines a harvest, Thanksgiving, and a New Year celebration. It marks the end of the year-long toil in the fields, with the granaries full and the hard-working Zomi people ready to celebrate their success. The festival also involves exorcism rituals to drive away evil spirits, symbolized by lighting pine torches. Interestingly, the timing and nature of Khuado are similar to other festivals celebrated by neighboring cultures, such as the Thadinyut festival (Burmese New Year), Diwali (Hindu festival of lights), and the Mid-Autumn festival (Chinese harvest festival)1. This similarity suggests that the practice of celebrating light festivals after the harvest may have been influenced by cultural exchanges and interactions among these communities over the centuries.
Overall, the Khuado Festival is a vibrant tradition reflecting the Zomi people’s deep connection to their land, history, and cultural heritage of the Zomi land.