The Annual Pnars/New Year’s Day Parade takes place on the 7th/8th January every year. There are religious ceremonies, traditional dances and songs on this occasion at different places in the state of Meghalaya.
This beautiful festival is celebrated by more than 25000 Pnars of Riang Tribe of Ri-Bhoi District West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. This festival is more or less an annual get together of family members after their harvesting period to celebrate new made traditional wine called “Jawi” with dance and music. During the course of the musical evening's crop harvesting songs are also sung among themselves which depicts a joyous mood during that period of time when all family members gather together for work in the fields. The young boys & girls dressed up in various attires sing and dance according to their traditional styles.
The festival is accompanied by lots of ornament, colourful display of Pnars’ traditional dresses, cuisine etc. The youth group “Riang Reongdoh” carries out dramas by way of short skits showing the true lifestyle of Pnars which portrays how they work in the field during harvesting season. The majority of Riang people are Christians; however, it has not stopped them from following their age-old tradition and culture. It is said that the majority population “Hynniewtrep Hynniewtrepp” (meaning people living together) celebrate this festival without any commercial motive (pork/beef/liquor) but with social and family bonding.
The highlight of this festival is the traditional dances by men, women & children in colourful dresses with nicely decorated “Ngao” (traditional umbrella) to depict their tradition and culture. The ensemble of music, dance and songs is the essence of this festival which depicts cheerfulness among themselves for having successfully harvested their crops without any loss or damage from rain floods etc.
In addition to the above festivals, Meghalaya celebrated many more different kinds of festivals representing unity in diversity as been practised since ancient times by various communities living together here in Meghalaya. These days the state observes a number of fairs and carnivals too throughout the year adding colours to the cultural spectrum. Some notable ones are Hornbill Tourism Festival (organized by the state tourism department), Garo Cultural Show, Dampa Tiger Dance festival etc. Moreover, the state celebrates St. Mary’s feast with a lot of celebration especially at Mawkyrwat in South West Khasi Hills on the 20th of September every year followed by fairs and carnivals arranged by various churches from all over Meghalaya.