Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day (Te Rā o Waitangi in Māori) is the national day of New Zealand that commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. This day is celebrated on the 6th of February every year, unless the 6th falls on a weekend, then it is celebrated on the following Monday. There are some controversies attached to this day as some parts of the treaty haven't been fully upheld over the years, which has negatively impacted the Māori people.
Origins
The Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Māori) was signed on the 6th of February in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and around 500 Māori Chiefs. The Treaty has both English and Māori version in existence, however, not all of the Treaty could be fully translated into Māori as the Māori didn't have words in their own language to correspond with some of our own. It was this inability to fully translate which has lead to misunderstandings and the Māori loosing land that is rightfully theirs which, understandably, has lead to lots of disputes over the years.
Despite being signed in 1840, the first Waitangi Day wasn't celebrated until 1934 and it was only made a national public holiday in 1974.
Customs
Most of the Te Rā o Waitangi celebrations center around Waitangi and the Treaty House but celebrations are generally held throughout the country. Celebrations normally include:
- Fireworks
- Sporting Events
- Parades
- Music (Traditional Māori and modern)
- Māori ceremonies
- Hui (Māori Assemblies)
- Family gatherings
- Wearing red clothing
- Tree planting
If I have gotten anything wrong or anything needs adding, please let me know so I can ammend it immediately!
I think we'll leave this here. Official celebrations for this day have been cancelled due to Omicron, so, however you choose to utilise this day, please do so safely. I would also use this time to learn about the history of the Māori, after all, New Zealand wouldn't be what it is today without them.
Blessings,
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👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
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