Essay on “Siami” Festival
Siami is the harvesting festival observed by the Zemi Nagas of the North Cuchar Hills. It is, in fact, a festival organised by the boys and girls of the Marungs of the village.
In the festival, the youths are required to get themselves prepared for the observance of this festival, much ahead of the actual celebration. Holding the grand feasts with the meals of hunted animals and birds with rice-beer, dancing and singing are the main components of the festival.
Brewing of rice beer in large quantities in the name of the member of a family and drinking it in the bowls made from plantain leaves are performed by the youths. While dancing done by the boys and girls of the Marungs is the special feature of the festival the competition among the boys and girls to recapitulate the names of plants, trees, flowers, creeper, etc, is also popular. This is perhaps the most educative aspect of this festival.
