Sikrenye Festival/Sekrenyi Festival

Steeped in rituals and ceremonies, Sikrenye Festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Angami tribe of Nagaland. It is celebrated on the 25th day of the Angami month of 'Kezei' (which corresponds to the month of February) at Touphema village. This festival stretches for ten days and is also known as 'Phousnyi'. Several rituals are observed during the festival. “Kizie” is the first ritual performed by the tribe. Womenfolk take a few drops of rice water from the top of the jug called “Zumho”and put them on leaves. These leaves are then places at the three main gates of their respective houses. On the first day of the festival all the members of a family go to the village well for a bath and at night two people go back to the well to clean it. Once the well is cleaned the youth guard it so that now no one takes water from the well. Early next morning the youth of the village come to the well to take a bath. They slip into two new shawls – the white Mhousshu and the black Lohe and sprinkle water on their chest, knees and on the right arm. This ceremony is known as “Dzuseva”, meaning touching the sleeping water. It is believed that this ceremony washes away all the ills and negativities of the people.

The Thekra Hie ceremony is the most interesting part of the festival. During this ceremony the tribal people gather at one place to sing traditional songs in chorus. The seventh day of the festival is dedicated to hunting. On the eighth day the tribal people pay visits to nearby villages. Feasts are enjoyed during the celebration. During the festival no one goes to the fields for work and dedicate these few days only to celebration.