For those who don’t know, New Zealand has a lot of traditional cultural customs.
For anyone who doesn’t know, New Zealand is an island country located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.
New Zealand comprises two main islands—the North and South Islands—as well as 600 smaller islands.
The people living there are collectively known as Kiwis, derived from the kiwi itself, a native flightless bird and New Zealand’s national symbol.
However, before Kiwis are known throughout the world, the country was originally inhabited by the Māori people. Until today, New Zealand continues to practice the culture left by their ancestors.
The Kiwis have kept this particular Māori tradition for so long.
The Māori people brought a collection of their beliefs, culture and tradition known as the Māoritanga, which originated from Eastern Polynesian culture.
These people arrived and settled at the islands sometime between 1200 and 1300 AD. One of the interesting cultures they brought was a dance called the Haka.
Also known as The Dance of War, it is a ceremonial dance performed by a group to display the tribe’s pride and strength.
The haka is also performed to commemorate important events such as the welcoming of guests, acknowledgment of achievements and at funerals.
The haka is also perfect for an occasion like a wedding!
Jen and Jackson, a couple in New Zealand, had just gotten married.
To celebrate their companionship, they decided to perform a ceremonial haka during the reception. The guests are seated at their respective tables and among the guests are drummers beating their drums to welcome the entrance of the groomsmen and bridesmaids to the venue.
After the last pair enters by dancing in front of the audience, it was time for the actual bride and groom to enter the scene.
The couple danced their way to the dance floor with the groomsmen all lined up on the other side of the room.
The groom and the groomsmen gracefully performed the haka with pride.
One of the groomsmen broke the ice by leading everyone to the dancefloor.
After a few seconds, the leader invited the groomsmen to the center along with the groom, who was standing on the opposite side.
Together, they danced in unison with vigorous movements as a show of pride.
They stomped their feet and did synchronized rhythmic movements as they performed loud chants that reverberated around the room. Another feature of the haka dance is the body slapping and the protruding of tongues, which you could see the men executing on their performance.
With passionate people like them, it is no wonder how these centuries-old traditions are kept alive to this day!
The Kiwis did well in preserving the culture and tradition of their ancestors.
As you see these people passionately perform the haka, it’s easy to understand how much they value these traditions. In fact, with schools teaching this ancient culture to their students, we’re guessing it’ll be almost impossible for them to ever get buried or forgotten by history.
Culture and tradition are kept by people who continue to practice them.
No matter how many years pass by, as long as there are people who keep the tradition alive, these ancient practices will be able to live through plenty of generations.
Watch the full performance in the link below:
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
