page_title: Waitangi Day
section_title: Elsewhere in New Zealand
hierarchical_section_title: Waitangi Day / Commemorations / Elsewhere in New Zealand
caption_attribution_description: New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark being welcomed onto the Hoani Waititi Marae in Glen Eden, West Auckland, on Waitangi Day, 6 Feb 2006. Helen Clark is in the front row of the group at the left, wearing a patterned top and dark slacks with minister Chris Carter next to her on the far left of the photo.
context_page_description: Waitangi Day, the national day of New Zealand, marks the anniversary of the initial signing – on 6 February 1840 – of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is regarded as the founding document of the nation. The first Waitangi Day was not celebrated until 1934, and it was made a national public holiday in 1974.
  In present-day New Zealand, the anniversary is observed annually on 6 February and the day is usually recognised as a public holiday. Ceremonies take place at Waitangi and elsewhere to commemorate the signing of the treaty. A variety of events are staged, including parties, Māori hui, reflections on New Zealand history, official awards and citizenship ceremonies. The commemoration has also been the focus of protest by Māori activists, and is often marred by controversy.
context_section_description: Some marae use the day as an open day and an educational experience for their local communities, giving them the opportunity to experience Māori culture and protocol, or as an opportunity to explain where they see Māori are and the way forward for Māori in New Zealand. Commemorations are largely muted in comparison to those seen on the national days of most countries. There are no mass parades or firework displays, nor truly widespread commemorations. At Government House in Auckland, citizenship ceremonies are usually held. As the day is a public holiday, and coincides with the warmest part of the New Zealand summer, many people take the opportunity to spend the day at the beach – an important part of New Zealand culture.
  Since 2014, the New Zealand Society of Authors awards the Waitangi Day Literary Honours on Waitangi Day.
caption: Prime Minister Helen Clark being welcomed onto Hoani Waititi Marae, in West Auckland, Waitangi Day 2006
exif: {}