For Mizos, community feasts integral part of Christmas

With Mizoram soaked in Yuletide spirit, Christmas carols and songs are echoing from almost every household in the Christian-dominated state where traditional community feasts still remain the most important part of the festival.
People from a village or a locality congregate and eat together in such feasts where pork and beef are the main dishes besides chicken, fish, vegetables and green salad.
The food is prepared by villagers themselves. These cooks are known as 'Fatus' who are experts in cooking in their own way.
According to C Remtluanga, who hails from South Aizawl's Venghnuai locality, 'fatus' over the years have been handing over their skill to the next generation.

The food at the feasts are prepared mainly by men while girls and even married women help them by cutting vegetables and serving them tea, he says, adding that young people are trained during these feasts by older and experienced 'fatus'.
Though cooking gas is mostly used for cooking in households here, food for these feasts is cooked on firewood. Food is served on plantain leaves and drinks in cups made of bamboo.
Another peculiar feature of Christmas celebration among the Mizos is that it is a time for singing and the congregation in an appointed hall or house in a village sings Christmas songs composed by Mizo composers like Patea, Kamlala, Damhauha and others in traditional tunes.

Though carols performed by choirs door-to-door have become a thing of the past, Mizo people's love for music and songs is always signified by the way they celebrate Christmas and other festivals, whether religious or traditional.