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— New Zealand
— New Zealandn
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nAh,na nice mid-summer day to celebrate with music and dance!
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nDidnI say mid-summer? On February 6? Yes!
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nNew Zealand, along with thenrest of the Southern Hemisphere, is enjoying its summer while most ofnhumanity living north of the equator is experiencing winter.
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Atndawn in a place called Waitangi, flags are raised on the groundsnwhere the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Typically, there isna special church service, and shows of song and dance. Several wakan(Maori canoes) and a navy ship re-enact the calling ashore ofnGovernor Hobson to sign the treaty. At dusk the flags are lowered inna traditional ceremony.
Atndawn in a place called Waitangi, flags are raised on the groundsnwhere the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840. Typically, there isna special church service, and shows of song and dance. Several wakan(Maori canoes) and a navy ship re-enact the calling ashore ofnGovernor Hobson to sign the treaty. At dusk the flags are lowered inna traditional ceremony.n
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| This is the flag of the Maori group that wants a separate, independent Maori nation. |
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nInnbetween flag up and flag down, lots of New Zealanders take advantagenof the holiday to go to the beach. Some people attend protestsnbecause there is a lot of controversy about just what the Treaty ofnWaitangi said—the Maori version and the English version of thentreaty differ!—and what it means today. Even the name of thenholiday stirs some controversy: some people have suggested (and evenndeclared and decreed) that the holiday name be changed to New ZealandnDay. n
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nSpeakingnof New Zealand…
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nPeternJackson’s new movie, The Hobbit, is set in the fantasticnlandscapes of New Zealand (just as his Lord of the Ringsntrilogy was). Hobbiton has been built so that it can last and can bena tourist destination, and it looks really charming!n Here is an image gallery, and here and here are videos.
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nFornmore about New Zealand and the Maori people, check out this andnthis other earlier posts.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversary of the first golfing on the moon
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nSami National Day