Waitangi Day in New Zealand Feb. 6, 2025

What do you get when you bring together more than 500 Māori chiefs, representatives of the British Crown and a treaty signed in 1840? A day that New Zealanders still commemorate: Waitangi Day. On this date, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, establishing the principles for how the two cultures would coexist. Ceremonies are held at Waitangi Treaty Grounds—where the document was signed—featuring traditional Māori performances, speeches and the ever-dramatic waka (canoe) races. From festivals and concerts in cities like Auckland and Wellington to low-key community gatherings, the spirit of the day is about connection and culture.

© Francesco Vaninetti/AWL/plainpicture

palette

Today in History

When landscape met wilderness
Feb. 6, 2024Lake Tahoe
Feb. 6, 20262026 Winter Olympics

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Immersing in nature
Aug. 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England
Jul 4, 2026Kaysersberg, Alsace, France
Jan. 25, 2024Snowy owl
May 26, 2024Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington
Apr. 20, 2025Happy Easter!
A window to the Pacific
The Big Apple with a foggy topping
A day of swing and celebration
Magnified moss
Feb. 13, 2024Mardi Gras
Oct. 14, 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
A fox in the dunes
Oct. 2, 2025Oxbow Bend on the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
Jul 28, 2026World Nature Conservation Day
A vibrant, sun-drenched island
Protecting the gentle giants
Desert daggers?
Jun 25, 2026Buildings on Grand-Place Square in Brussels, Belgium
Nov. 25, 2023Kluane National Park and Reserve, Yukon
All is calm
Sep. 10, 2023Grandparents Day
Jan. 2, 2025Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland
Today, a nation was born
What are these beautiful sandy waves?
Jun. 30, 2025Asteroid Day
Dec. 27, 2025Plate ice along Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
Misty mountain hop
Feb. 24, 2025Giant cuttlefish, Whyalla, South Australia, Australia
Jun 23, 2026Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan