Tokhü Emong
regional
When it happens
November
Begins 7 November and runs nine days. Lotha elders fixed the start date, which previously varied from village to village.
Significance
A living pre-Christian harvest and reconciliation tradition, now kept by a largely Christian Lotha community and backed by a state holiday.
Why it's celebrated
In Lotha, tokhü means feast and emong means to halt or rest — the festival marks the pause after the harvest is in, and is also an occasion for settling quarrels.
How it's celebrated
A priest opens the festival by going house to house collecting unhusked rice while praying for the village's prosperity; the rice buys a pig, which is killed and its meat distributed back to the households. Feasting, singing and reconciliation follow through the nine days.
Key rituals
The priest's house-to-house collection, the communal pig, the distribution of meat, and the settling of disputes.
Beliefs & spiritual meaning
The harvest is not complete until the village has eaten together and its quarrels are put down.
History & origins
A Lotha Naga harvest festival, its start date standardised by the elders so that villages could keep it together.
Frequently asked
When is Tokhü Emong?+
It begins on 7 November and runs nine days. The start date was fixed by Lotha elders — it previously varied from village to village — and it is backed by a state holiday.
What does Tokhü Emong mean?+
In Lotha, tokhü means feast — eating and drinking — and emong means to halt or rest. It marks the pause after the harvest is in, and it is as much an occasion for settling quarrels as for eating.
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