'Jhum Cultivation' is an important practice in Mizoram. It includes slashing down the jungles, burning the leaves and cultivating the lands. All the major agricultural activities and festivals in Mizoram rotate around the operations of Jhum.
The people of Mizoram have still kept their traditional heritage alive. The conventional customs remain intact till date. An extraordinary tribal flavor accompanies the celebration of fairs and festivals in Mizoram. Since Christianity forms the major part of the population, the New Year's and Christmas are the most important celebrations in Mizoram. Several traditional festivals also form a part of the major celebrations.
Kut are the traditional festivals of Mizoram. Some of those important ones celebrated with great pomp and show are namely:
Chapchar Kut
Chapchar Kut is one of the most important spring festival. After the clearing of the forests for jhum cultivation, this festival is celebrated with great fervor by the people of Mizoram. Irrespective of the age, both young and old participate in the festivities with equal enthusiasm. People dressed in bright costumes with attractive head gears sing, dance and make merry. Men and women perform folk dances and sing several traditional songs as well followed by beats of drums and cymbals. It is normally celebrated during the first week of March every year
Mim Kut
Mim Kut is celebrated after the harvest of the maize crop is over. For this very reason, Mim Kut is also called the Maize Festival. It is celebrated generally during the month of August or September. Singing, dancing, drinking of rice-beer and merry-making are the common features of this festival.
Mim Kut is a Love-Live for Life Festival held in Mizoram. Mim Kut turns out to be a vibrant and colorful fiesta that is celebrated with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm. Mim Kut is a Maize Festival, but a ceremony of joys that adds a New Feather to the Stunning Coronet of Fiestas in Mizoram.
Mim Kut offers that the devotees or people pay tribute to the dead souls in a form of a visit to them and in form of wine that is naturally made from rice at all homes. Other offerings include fresh vegetables, maize, bread made from maize and handmade symbolic jewelry.
The dead souls are also worshiped by the villagers. The Mim Kut festival like most festivals includes, tradition singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and proud display of culture.
Pawl Kut
Pawl Kut is the greatest of all the festivals celebrated in the state of Mizoram. Once all the harvests are over, this Harvest Festival is celebrated with great fun. The festival is usually celebrated either in the month of December or January.
Lyuva Khutla
Lyuva Khutla (festival) is celebrated after completion of arduous jhumming task (slash and burn). It is celebrated as thanksgiving to the almighty for his helps and blessings.
Lyuva Khutla, the most important and biggest cultural as well as thanksgiving festival of the Mara tribes of Mizoram, was celebrated in southern Mizoram’s Siaha and Tipa .
Anthurium Festival
The Anthurium Festival is held to promote farmers, flowers and horticulture in Mizoram.
The festival witnesses many visitors from across the nation and wide world. Mizoram's Chief Minister also is present as Chief Guest, every year on this occasion.
The Anthurium flower is one of the most expensive flowers cultivated in India. The Tourism Department of the State Government does best to organize it on the foothills of the Mystic Reiek Mountain to promote the flower's cultivation and the farmers in Mizoram.
The tourist take a chance to see the best of decked up and decorated flowers with different varieties and arrangements.
Anthurium sell for around Rs 8,00 to 1,000 per plant in metropolitan cities. In Mizoram, Anthurium varieties are widely used in ceremonies ranging from birthdays, weddings and funeral services. This is a must to see as it offers ideas and thoughts for even the best of ideas.
Christmas Festival
Christmas is a vital festival in Mizoram and it's the most busy year along with the best holidays. While the Christmas Festival is on.
You’ll see that there’s no shortage of Christmas markets, holiday shopping and festive entertainment during Mizoram's Christmas Season.
Prayers and worship services were held at different churches across The State on Christmas Eve to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ.
Christmas carols and free gospel street concerts mark the Christmas Eve programme, while Mass Hymns of Christmas in traditional tunes continue till 12 'O' clock at night.
Khuado Kut
Khuado Kut (festival) is celebrated by the Paite community . It is a festival of symbolic expression of thanksgiving to the Almighty for having blessed and given a bountiful harvest.
Hlukhla Kut
The Hlukhla Kut is a festival of Lai people. It is celebrated during March after completion of their most arduous task of jhum operation i.e., jungle-clearing (clearing of the remnants of burning). It is a spring festival celebrated with great favour and gaiety.
Today, the festival is observed in the last part of February or the early part of March when the trees and bamboos felled for jhum are left to dry and the shifting cultivators have time to relax and enjoy.
