Festivals of Kohima district include festive occasions like `Sekrenyi` and `Ngada`, which are conducted by the indigenous tribes of this region. An elaborate series of rituals and traditions are followed in all these regional festivals of this Indian district. Sekrenyi festival is celebrated by the `Angami ` tribals of Kohima on the 25th day of the `Kezei` month. This 10-day festival is also referred to as `Phousanyi`.

Sekrenyi Festival
During Sekrenyi, some drops of rice are poured from the top of a jug which is known as `Kezie`, into a few leaves. This is kept at three significant positions in the house by the head lady of the particular Angami household. Therefore, on the very first day of this festival, all the men, including elderly men and youth perform the activity of bathing in the village well. The next morning at dawn, the youth of the village go to take their ritual bath. Just after the bathing, the young men don two new shawls on their bodies and spray water on their right arm, knees and chest in order to eliminate their sins and ill fates with the pure water. While returning after this washing, they sacrifice a cock. From the fourth day onwards, constant merrymaking in the form of feasting and singing is organized for three continuous days. Traditional songs are sung and enjoyed by the local youth of the village. The youngsters of this village go for hunting on the seventh day of Sekrenyi festival. The custom of `gate pulling` is performed on the eight day of this festival, when inhabitants of different villages of Kohima district visit the villages of each other. Throughout this festival, nobody is permitted to visit the fields and all the chores related to field work is stopped when this festival is celebrated.

Ngada Festival
The `Rengma tribes` arrange the `Ngada` festival which continues till eight days towards the end of the month of November. Ngada is celebrated immediately after the harvest, as a sign of rejoicing and signifies the conclusion of the agricultural year. The members of every Kohima household prepare rice beer and collect banana leaves on the second day of this regional festival. The womenfolk of the village offer rice beer, wrapped in neat banana leaves to the graves of their loved ones and relatives on the third day of Ngada.

The men folk of the village consume rice beer in the morning on the fourth day of this local festival and during noon, they put on their finest garments and walk around the village, accompanied by the women, who carry rice beer. On the fifth day, the male members of the village sing songs and visit every house of the village. Similarly, on the sixth day, all the residents of the village visit the homes of one another and celebrate the festival with delicious food and drinks. The local villagers pay a visit to the forest for the purpose of collecting firewood, vegetables and banana leaves to make arrangements for the great Ngada feast which is held on the eight day of this festival. Three important rituals are done on this day.

The first rite is a peace agreement with fire, which is said to avert accidents involved with fire, as the villagers proceed with the festivities in the village. The second agreement is that with the rats, performed with a view to avoid the destruction of crops by these creatures. The Rengmas also perform another kind of rite wherein evil spirits are evicted from the village.