Waitangi Day in New Zealand Feb 5, 2025

Waitangi Day in New Zealand

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

What are these colorful insects?
Feb 5, 2024Monarch butterflies

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 17, 2024Alfanzina lighthouse, Algarve, Portugal
Stepping back in time
Get ready for the blood moon
Jan 28, 2025Short-eared owl
Jan 12, 2024Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
Mar 11, 2024Sleeping koala
The Arc de Triomphe of the east
Oct 5, 2024African elephants in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya
Sep 30, 2025Koala in the Great Otway National Park, Australia
Canoeing in solitude
Aug 24, 2023Shark Fin Cove, California, USA
A grove glows green
Jul 21, 2024Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Oct 9, 2024Aspens near Marble, Colorado, USA
Nov 12, 2025Colosseum, Rome, Italy
One rare streak
Mar 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
A scented sea of purple
The rivers run through us
A salty situation
Babbling on and on
An experiment in sustainability
Mar 31, 2024Happy Easter!
Apr 8, 2025Paro Tsechu Festival, Bhutan
Sep 9, 2025A female Eurasian red squirrel, Switzerland
Whats so funny?
Nap your worries away
Combine wind and water, and you’ll get...
Jan 10, 2024Mylopotamos, Thessaly, Greece
May 18, 2024Natural History Museum, London, England