NEW ZEALAND:

New Zealand is a young country, but it has many traditions. An example could be the Maori Costumes and many more fun activities. 

CHOCOLATE CARNIVAL:

Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, is known for being the world’s most difficult street to walk to. What people don’t know is that this is the place where the city’s Cadbury Chocolate Carnival is done every year. To start the festivities, giant Jaffa balls, that’s an orange chocolate that’s unique to New Zealand, goes down the difficult road. There are also competitions, and activities with chocolate, and there is also Crunchie Train to make the people have fun.

THE HAKA:

Rugby fans will know this one quite well. The haka is a traditional Maori war dance and has been done by New Zealand’s All Blacks team, but its importance is celebrated in other local customs as well. In the past, the pre-battle war songs and dances were done to make the enemy scared, and show how strong Maori warriors were. Now you can see a haka dance if you visit a marae, or if you go to any special Maori celebrations and rituals.

THE HONGI:

The hongi is a personal, typical hello, usually done in special occasions. The people will press their noses and their foreheads to one another. This is seen like the passing of the breath of life from one person to another called ‘te ha’ in Maori. A hongi is done when welcoming visitors onto Maori places, as well as within traditional ceremonies. 

POWHIRI:

When you go to a Maori house called whare, meeting place called marae, or tribe called iwi, there will be a traditional welcoming ceremony. A powhiri usually begins with three warriors challenging the person who just arrived to see if they are coming into their place in peace, and a kaikaranga that is a caller and usually is a girl, brings the visitors to them. Presentations, waiata that are traditional songs and talks are usually done, and then the powhiri ends with the hong that I talked about before.

FOOD: A HANGI:

A hangi is cooked underground, using hot rocks that are put in a grown oven. Food is put on top of the stones and usually meat is cooked first, then the food will be covered for three hours during the cooking. This is usually saved for special occasions, but you can have these meals when you also have a Maori meeting anywhere in the country.