Nagaland is a land of festivals. All the tribes celebrate their distinct seasonal festivals with a pageantry of colour and a feast of music. The important thing about the Naga festivals is their corporate character. The community as a whole participates in the celebrations.

Moatsu

Among the Aos, the most important festival is Moatsu, which is celebrated after the sowing is over. The festival last six days. On the first night of the festival sexual intercourse was forbidden. Every man was required to wear a new belt, for hanging his dao. The unmarried men received belts as presents from their girl friends, the married men got from their wives. During this occasion, the restriction relating to dress and ornaments were relaxed. People could wear even the forbidden ones according to their will. The most important role, during the festival used to be played by the youths of the bachelor's dormitory. Before the festival, the morung had to be repaired and cleansed. The dancing drums were also put to order by attaching new skins. On the first day of the festival, the boys belonging to the younger age-groups used to go to the jungle and collect six bundles of paired bamboo strips each. These they handed over to the morung elders, for use according to their discretion. On the second day, all the boys and grown-up males engaged themselves in clearing the village, particularly the main approaches to the village. That night, the cows and the pigs to be slaughtered on the occasion of this festival were tied outside the morung. On the third day, the cows and the pigs would be killed. The meat was distributed among the boys of the morung and some portion was kept apart, to be given as present. In the evening, the boys would eat the meat outside the morung. Later some old men would come to the morung and would be entertained with meat and rice-beer. When they would eat the meat, the boys would be singing songs inside the morung. On the fourth day, the people of Mongsen Khel would dance in procession; in all the streets of the village. On the fifth day, the people of Chungli Khel would dance similarly. The women were not to take any part in these dances, but at intervals they served rice-beer to the dancers. The old men also would not dance, but follow the dancer, singing songs. A drummer always accompanied the party and the people would dance to the beatings of the drum. On the sixth day, both the Khels used to dance together.

Sekrenyi

The principal Angami festival is the Sekrenyi. It is celebrated in February by the Western Angamis and in December by the Southern Angamis. The festival is to ensure the health and well being of the community during the coming year. It is an occasion of great merry making, enormous quantities of rice-beer, beef and pork are consumed. An interesting feature of the festival is that the men have to prepare a separate hearth and abstain from any sexual relation for the first two days.

Sankarni

One of the major festivals of the Zemis is the Sankarni Puja which coincides with Shivaratri. Single boys and girls join in the Sankarni puja which lasts over a week. Chanting songs, they smoke, eat and drink to their hearts content. Contribution in money and kind is welcome from the participant families as well as visitors.

The Chakhesang Khilunyie and Rengma Ngadah are both harvest festivals.

Sekrenyi - Festival Of The Angamis

The Angamis celebrate Sekrenyi in the month of February. It normally falls in the 25th day of the Angami month of "Kezei". The ten-day festival is also called Phousnyi by the Angamis. The Festival follows a circle of ritual and ceremony, the first being "Kizie". A few drops of rice water taken from the top of the jug called "Zumho", are put into leaves and placed at the three main posts of the house by the lady of the household. The first day begins with all young and old men going to the village well to bathe. In the night, two young men will go to the well to clean it. Some of the village youth guard the well in the night as no one is allowed to fetch water after cleaning of the well. The womenfolk, especilly, are not allowed to touch the well water. Hence, they have to see that water is fetched for the household before the well cleaning. Early the next morning, all the young men of the village rise to wash themselves at the well. The whole process is carried out in a ritualistic manner. The young men will don two new shawls (the white Mhoushü and the black Lohe) and sprinkle water on their breast, knees and on their right arm. This ceremony is called "Dzuseva" (touching the sleeping water) and it assures them that all their ills and misfortunes have been washed away by the purified well water. On their return from the well, a cock is sacrificed by throttling it with bare hands. It is taken as a good omen when the right leg falls down. The innards of the fowl are taken out and hung outside the house for the Village elders to come and inspect it. Beginning from the fourth day of the festival, a three-day session of singing and feasting starts. The Thekra Hie is the best part of the festival where the young people of the village sit together and sing traditional songs throughout the day. Jugs of rice beer and plates of meat are placed before the participants. On the seventh day, the young men go for hunting. The most important ceremony falls on the eight day, when the bridge-pulling or gate-pulling is performed, or inter-village visits are exchanged. Until the close of the festival, no one goes to the fields and all field works cease during this season of feasting and song. The young unmarried girls with closely shaven heads sit down with the bronzed youth and sing tuned of bygone ages, recreating past where no care touched the human soul.

Ngada Festival of the Rengmas

The Rengmas celebrate eight days of Ngada festival towards the end of November/just after harvest. It is the festival of thanksgiving, merrymaking and rejoicing. This festival also marks the end of the agricultural year. It is a popular belief of the ancient Rengmas that the spirit of the death visit their graves and the homes of their relatives once every year, particularly during this festival. The first day of the festival is meant for preparation of rice-beer by every household. Banana leaves are collected from the forest on the second day of the festival. On the third day, the womenfolk visits the graves of their relatives and place rice-beer wrapped in banana leaves on their graves. On the fourth day, all male members go together at their respective khel morungs known s "Rensi" early in the morning, with their own rice-beer and meat and have their meal there. At mid-day, all male members in their ceremonial and warrior fineries go round the village, followed by women with rice-beer in their mugs to offer them drinks. The fifth day again witnesses all male members going in procession, visiting all the houses, singing songs relating to 'Ngada' festival. Each household has to give them something as a token as a token of their appreciation, when the procession visits them. On the sixth day, all the members of the village visit the house of one another irrespective of khel or clan, eat and drink with one and all in every house without any restriction or hesitation. On the seventh day, everybody goes to the forest for collecting firewood, banna leaves and vegetables for the feast. A grand feast is arranged on the eight day, where the whole village fesat on whatever was collected on the fifth day's procession.After the feast, it is believed that the souls of those who dies tht very year, leaves the village and go to the land of the dead. On this day, three rites are performed. One is the peace agreement with fire in order to avoid fire accident in the village. The second is made with the rats, so that they do not destroy crops or household goods. The third rite is performed to expel evil spirits from all household and the entire village. This ends the eight day long celebration of the 'Ngada' festival of the Rengma Nagas.

Hega

The Hega Festival is one of the most important and the biggest festivals amongst the Zeliang community. It falls in the month of February from 10th to 15th every year. It is a festival invoking the Almighty to shower His blessing upon the people with riches, luck and courage. It is also festival of joy, rest and get-together. On this festival, young couples are united for their future. The festival begins with variety of programmes and merrymaking. On the first day, animals are killed for the festival and those who do not own animals either buy or share with other members. On the second day, the gatekeeper of the main gate will have a special and separate prayer invoking the protection of the Almighty to the villagers and to shower his blessings for the year to come. After the prayer, he goes to the jungle and offers a special prayer asking God to show him the right tree for the sacrifice. When it is shown to him, the youth will cut the tree and carve it into the shape of a Hornbill and put it up in the main Gate with decoration. In the evening, the elders and the boys will make noise going up and down the whole village for two or three times and at the end, they will try to pierce the heart of the wooden hornbill. If they strike the target then it is goodluck. After this, all the male members will gather in their own Morung to offer special prayer for good luck in hunting. On the third day, early in the morning, the bride will gather all the girls from her khel and go to the jungle to collect firewood. In the meantime, the elders and youth from the khel will go to the jungle and cut a tree which is shaped, cut into two and coloured, signifying the purity and virginity of the bride. In the evening, the bride will carry the two wooden pieces which signifies her life. The firewood and the wooden pieces are kept in the main gate or the last gate of the village. With these two heavy wooden pieces the bride along with the rest of the boys and girls carrying the firewood proceeds to the girl's morung where they are treated to feast by the bridegroom. On the fourth day, sports like long jump and wrestling are played in the evening. At night, the bride visits each househols encouraging men, boys and girls to take part in the dance and for the elders she prepares special soup from meat and give them for their health and strength to participate in the dance. On the last day, people adorn themselves with traditional fineries and prepare for the dance. For the bride, it is the last dance in her life because a married girl cannot join the dance again. After the dance, all the dancers go round the village singing and dancing together with the bride and bridegroom.

Chega Gadi

Chega Gadi is another popular festival of the Zeliang tribe. It is believed that on this day the Almighty showers blessings and good harvest and health. This festival is celebrated in the month of October. The people wait anxiously to see the first new moon and as soon as it is sighted, the Priest of the village (Singkupiu) makes an announcement and people begin necessary preparation for the festival. Once the festival commences, the menfolk and womenfolk are separated and the womenfolk are prohibited from even touching the fire, cups and plates used in the festival by the menfolk. At sunset, all the menfolk along with two High Priests will go outside the main gate of the village for making new fire to be used for the Festival and they are then blessed, after which they shout, signifying that they have been sanctified.On the third day, two males who had observed fasting, will go to the jungle and collect wood which is then carved like a man and tattooed. This wooden statue is installed at the gate of the village and then spearing of the wooden statue takes place. After that, all the menfolk gather at the main ground of the village and various competitions like long jump, wrestling, cock fight, etc. are held. Later, the High Priest would declare the completion of all the arrangements and lift all prohibitions imposed earlier. The villagers then, irrespective of men and women are now free from all bindings and they start feasting and merrymaking till the end of the Festival.

The Hornbill Festival

This festival of Nagaland which is a yearly feature in the first week of December is a cultural extravaganza showcasing Nagaland's traditional and cultural heritage in all its diversity. It is the coming together of all the elements that make up Nagaland and is a collaborative effort of various tribal unions and concerned NGOs/Organisations. The Hornbill Festival is a cultural festival to revive, protect and preserve the richness and uniqueness of the Naga heritage. Forthe visitors and tourists, this event is a means for closer understanding of the Nga people, their land and culture. One can see a melange of Naga cultures on display at one place. This festival is a must.

Naga Wrestling

The Naga style of wrestling is popular among the Angami, Chakesang and Zeliang Naga tribes. Traditionally, the toughest and the strongest were chosen by bouts of wrestling. It was also used for settling disputes as well. These days, under the aegis of Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA) which is affiliated to the Wrestling Federation of India, it is being held every year, in an organized competition from village to state level. December to March are the wrestling season. Whereas the village level tournaments are held in december, area, district and state levels are held in January, February and in the first half of March respectively.