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FESTIVALS NAGALAND : YIMCHUNGERS |
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METUMNIU : The
Yimchungers
celebrate METUMNIU festival from
4-8 of August every year after
the harvest of millet. This
festival is connected with the
prayers for the soul of the
departed souls. It is a
sentimental ceremony for those
dear ones who left for their
heavenly abode during the year.
An elder known as “KHEANPURU”,
after due prayers, inaugurates
the festival. The festival is
spread over 5 days and has
separate for the days. Viz..
SHITO, ZHIHTO, ZUMTO, KHEHRESUK
and SHERESUK. |
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On the first day, the village is
cleaned by community efforts,
the damage roads and homes by
heavy rains are repaired . on the
second day, the path leading to
the field is put in right shape,
landslide which are very common
during heavy rains are cleaned,
unwieldy growth are also cut. On
the third day. Inter – village
roads are taken up. On the forth
day, water point and springs are
cleaned giving a new look to the
village and its surroundings.
The villager enjoy their millet.
Friends are invited, gifts are
exchanged. They dance in their
finest and go round the village
to charm young and old.
The festival has a strong
agricultural base, agricultural implements are
sharpened and they worship the
three important things such as
spade, Dao and hoe.
During METUMNIU festival, the
young boys and girls get engaged
and those already betrothed
exchange present for new born
babies. Special prayers are held
and offerings are made. If the
child happened to be male, the
parent offer 6 piece of meat to
the priest and if the child
happens to be female, parent
offer 5 piece of meat. This
signify that the male has 6
souls and female 5.
TSUNGKAMNIU : The TSUNGKAMNIU,
another important festival of
the Yimchungrüs falls in the
month of January, from 14-16
every year. This festival is
observed to signify the year
long life and harvest achieved
during the year long hard works
in the field.
During this festival the young
men and women of the village
gather together and go round
dancing to every house of the
village in merriment. In turn
every household provides meat,
wine and rice cooked and keep
ready for them. This procession
would go round the entire
village and complete within
stipulated time. The first day
of the morning is spent for
cleaning the village and
thereafter eating, drinking and
dancing starts.
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