Missionary Day is celebrated across the Christian-dominated north-eastern state of Mizoram. Aizawl is the seat of the government and the capital city. It was a part of Assam until 1972, when it was carved out as a Union Territory. Mizoram Missionary Day marks the anniversary of the arrival of two Welsh Christian missionaries. The government offices and educational institutions remain closed for the day as the state government has declared this day a public holiday.
The local churches of the Baptist Church of Mizoram hold prayers, worship, and services. A community feast is also held on this day. Rev J H Lorrain and Rev F W Savidge, fondly called by the Mizos as Pu Buanga and Sapupa, respectively, arrived in Mizoram, which was then Lushai country. They arrived by boat from Assam on January 11, 1894, and spread Christianity.
These Welsh missionaries were responsible for the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in the northern part of Mizoram. They created a Mizo-English dictionary and began to teach the people to read their language. They also taught them the Gospel, which changed their way of life from the previous animism.
The Presbyterian Church in Mizoram started celebrating Missionary Day in 1974, and the state government eventually made it a public holiday. Initially, the people of the Lushal Hills raided British plantations in the lowlands to the south, and even when British India expanded to include their territory, they were loosely controlled. But since January 11, 1894, the expedition of these two Presbyterian missionaries, all of that began to change.
About Mizoram and its citizens:
The origin of Mizos remains a mystery to everyone. The people living in the Mizo Hills are often referred to as ‘Crucis’ by neighbouring ethnic groups. Before the British era, various Mizo clans lived in autonomous villages. They practised slash and burn, which is also called jhum cultivation.
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