When - 1 - 3
Where -
Nagaland
The Moatsü Mong festival is celebrated by the Ao people of Nagaland, India.
Moatsü is celebrated in the first week of May every year. Various rituals are performed during this period. The Aos observe Moatsü Mong after the sowing is done. The festival provides them a period of recreation and entertainment after the stressful work of clearing fields, burning jungles, sowing seeds, cleaning up the Tsubu (wells) and repairs and construction of houses by elders of the Putu Menden, stretching over a week. The Moatsü festival is marked by peppy songs and dances. The whole festival full of merry making and fun is observed only for three days from May 1 to 3.
During this festival one of the symbolic celebrations is Sangpangtu, where a big fire is lit and men and women sit around it putting on their complete best attire, the womenfolk serve the wine and meat. Village witch doctors forecast whether good or evil days are awaiting the people and the village by readings of the celebration of the Moatsü festival. This festival was also marked with ritualistic public fornication of a young virgin and a pubescent boy to mark the fertility of the land at the time. This ritual was stopped since the advent of Christianity to the land.
The principal aim of this festival is to invoke Almighty God's blessings after finishing such diverse activities:
- Repairs and construction of houses by elders of the Putu Menden (Village Council)
- Marriages in spring season
- Ploughing of old and new Jhum Kheti
- Cleaning up the Tsubü (Water Wells)