Khuado Harvest Festival Celebrated All Over The World

Khuado Harvest Festival Celebrated All Over The World

Khuado Pawi, the harvest festival or Thanksgiving Day of the Zo people, is being celebrated every year by the Zo people all over the world.

This harvest festival is said to have been started around 1400 AD at Ciimnuai which is somewhere within the present Chin State of Burma (Myanmar).

This Khuado Pawi is also celebrated by other various Zo people using various other names – Chapchar Kut by Mizo and Chavang Kut by the Kuki. Signifying the cultural affinity of the Mizo, Kuki and Chin/Zomi of Burma, once again.

Khuado Pawi has become the most popular festivals among the Zo people in recent years thanks to the immigration of the Zo people (also known as Chin people) especially from Chin State of Burma to various countries in the West, and to Australia, Japan, New Zealand etc.

Khuado Pawi, apart from its cultural significance, has become even more important in recent years especially when the Zo people are displaced and scattered all over the world. It now has become a celebration of unity, of asserting one’s Zo identity and proclaiming their shared unique cultural and historical heritage. It’s a day of thanksgiving and catching up with friends and family.

Traditionally, Zo people celebrated Khuado by dancing and singing folksongs, drinking the homemade alcoholic drinks known as Zu, and feasting on either beef or pork with corn.

However, today, alcohol consumption is not encouraged although singing, dancing and feasting are still the norm when celebrating Khuado. Not only that fashion shows, rock concerts, football tournaments, tennis tournaments are being organised to cater to the interests of today’s youths. It’s often said that Khuado is to Zo people what Thanksgiving Day is to Americans.

Mr H Kham Khan Suan in Khuado: Harvest Festival of the Zo People writes:

“Khuado signifies vanquish over the evil spirit. Usually held for two to three days at the house of the local priest or chief in the month of September/October depending on the arrival of harvest, it is consummated by the killing of two or three cattles (preferably pigs) with a generous distribution of zu (traditional wine).”

Khuado is nowadays celebrated in the month of October, which is also known as Khuado Kha or Do Kha in Zopau/Tedim dialect (kha means month).

Below is the list of countries/cities and the dates on which Khuado was and is being celebrated this year:

Germany, Frankfurt > 3rd October 2009;
Burma, Chin State, Haka > 3rd October 2009;
Burma, Kalemyo (Kawlpi) > 2nd & 3rd October 2009
Australia, Melbourne > 3rd October 2009; Report on Misual.com
India, Manipur, Lamka > 2nd October 2009;
India, Mizoram, Aizawl > 10th October 2009; Report on Buannel
India, New Delhi > 14th November 2009.
Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur > 30th October 2009 – Thawn Kham, Sangpi & Zamnu are special guests;
USA, Florida > 30th October 2009, Lawn Tennis tournament is also organised on the same day;
USA, Tulsa, Oklahoma > 24th October 2009
Sweden > 10th October 2009
Japan, Tokyo > 18th October 2009
Singapore > 17th October 2009 for pictures go here.
USA, Portland > 10 October 2009
USA, Arizona > 25 October 2009
USA, Washington DC > 31 October 2009
Norway > Unconfirmed/to be updated
UK, London > Unconfirmed/to be updated
Denmark > Unconfirmed/to be updated

Stay tuned for more Khuado celebration reports on Vaphual.net.