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.
Waitangi Day in New Zealand
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
-
Masterpiece of acoustic science
-
Trunks packed for road
-
A remote oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert
-
Just a couple of know-it-owls
-
Poinsettia
-
Christmas tree at Crystal Pier, San Diego, California, United States
-
Toledo, Spain
-
Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska, United States
-
Diwali
-
World Meteorological Day
-
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, Rajasthan
-
World Donkey Day
-
Least chipmunk, Kootenai National Forest, Montana, United States
-
A modern recreation
-
Thiruvalluvar Statue, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
-
Palolem beach, Goa, India
-
Why are blackbirds tied to winter?
-
Happy Holi!
-
Murudeshwara Temple, Murdeshwar, Karnataka
-
Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namib desert, Namibia
-
World Octopus Day
-
Crystal River, Three Sisters Spring, Florida, USA
-
Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington, USA
-
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico, USA
-
European beech forest, Belgium
-
Golden larches and Prusik Peak, Enchantments, Washington
-
Staying in the loop
-
Red deer stag in Glen Affric, Scotland
-
Nature, art, and...math?