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New Zealand known as the land of Kiwi has several public holidays but amongst all Waitangi Day opt an important place in the list. This is a national holiday which is celebrated every year on the 6th of February. On this day people of all backgrounds and communities gather together to celebrate the occasion. Waitangi Day 2024 is one of the important days in the history of New Zealand, it is remembered by everyone as the day of joy and happiness and is celebrated in the form of a holiday.
When is Waitangi Day 2024?
This is the annual holiday offered to all the citizens of New Zealand in February in honor of signing the Treaty of Waitangi. This is the treaty admired as the New Zealand first founding document.
This event took place in the year 1840. With the change in the holiday act implemented in January 2014, Waitangi Day started to fall on the weekend so the government fixed the following Monday as the observed holiday.
Waitangi Day 2024
Tue, 6 Feb 2024
Why was Waitangi Day founded?
This is the day when New Zealanders get more than need a day off from their work. According to the country law, it is observed as a public holiday by country law but on the other hand, it is the source of deep-down controversies that are concerned with the surrounding the Treaty of Waitangi and its effect on the society.
At the beginning of 6th February 1840, the treaty was signed by the representative of the British crown along with more than 40 Māori chiefs. Additional 500 Māori chiefs participated in signing the copies of the treaty on September 1840 which was to be sent to New Zealand.
The treaty outlined the principles needed to be followed by Māori chiefs and British officials to establish a political agreement for the formation of a nation-state as well as government. Due to the difference in the scriptwriting language of Māori and English officials, the version of the treaty raised a conflict in terms of land possession which lead to be a subject of contention.
This day was officially celebrated in 1934 and 1957 and proposed as a public holiday by the New Zealand labor party under the party manifesto.
In 1973 legislation got passed and this date received the recognition as a national holiday. But the renaming of the date caught the attention of several criticisms which lead to diminished ‘Te Tiriti’. Finally, in the year 1976, Waitangi Day Act got restored with the former name and got declared a holiday.
Alone we can do so little…
Tue, Feb 6, 2024
Waitangi Day 2024
Thus, it is said that Waitangi Day is a day of celebration throughout New Zealand. This is the treaty that is governed as the first document to be signed. Waitangi Day 2024 NZ is a great topic to be learned about at any time of the year. To know more about New Zealand holidays visit other categories of our website.
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