Waitangi Day 2024: Google doodle celebrates the national day of Aotearoa

Waitangi Day, the national holiday of Aotearoa (the Māori word for New Zealand), is celebrated with this Doodle. The artwork, which shows friends and whānau enjoying at a kapa haka festival, was illustrated by guest artist Vincent Egan of Māui Studios, who is based in Canterbury.

This day in 1840 saw the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, or the Treaty of Waitangi, by Māori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown. The treaty was intended to bring peace to the area. Waitangi Day commemorations revolve around the Treaty Grounds, a significant location that affected New Zealand’s history.

Te Whare Rūnanga, a traditional Māori meeting house in Waitangi, hosts a ritual at daybreak to start the celebrations, attended by individuals from many origins. The Waitangi Day Festival is a vibrant celebration of Māori history that features mouthwatering cultural acts and food stands overflowing with traditional delicacies including sweet bread (rīwana).

For a lot of people, the day acts as an opportunity for solidarity, bringing people together from all backgrounds. Ngā mihi o te wā.