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                                       Cherokee Feasts

 The national feasts of the Cherokees were as follows, viz.  The first at the appearance of the first new moon in the spring, about the time grass began to grow. The second was the green corn feast, when green corn became fit to eat.  The third was the second great green corn feast, about fifty days after the first.  The fourth was at the first new moon in autumn.  The fifth was about ten days after the last, and was called tto hu na. And the sixth was E la wo ta te g

These feasts are often called dances, as the people generally during the feasts devoted much tine to dancing. This was a religious ceremony. It was always performed in a similar manner, that is in a circle, or circles. The performers moved with the left hand always, toward the centre of the circle. Anciently they had but one kind of dance at all their feasts which was called ttohyna. Each company, i.e. all + special attention was paid, it seems to purity of manners, by obliging wives to follow their own husbands in the dance and all single women their own brothers or persons of their own clan, whom they could no more marry than their own brothers. Each clan also when seated occupied its own side of the council house, which always had seven sides.

As the fruits of the earth began to spring forth about the first of spring, this began the year with regard to most of the national feasts.   But an account of the variations of the 

moon they have often been in difficulty as to divining which was the first spring moon. As twelve moons did not complete the year, and as they had lost, doubtless the jewish regulation of adding a month, when necessary in order to keep their feasts in a proper time, & render the years complete, it happened some time ago, that many of the younger class were bewildered, and began to reckon February, i.e. the moon previous to the first spring moon as beginning the year. But the old men, knowing that the year commenced