The peaceful island nation with beautiful natural landscapes is rated by US News and World Report as one of the most livable countries in the world.
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| Hongi is a traditional greeting of the Maori people of New Zealand. (Source: roswellpres.org) |
By gently touching noses and foreheads, the Māori people of New Zealand will teach you their traditional greeting, the Hongi greeting, which will make anyone visiting the land of the kiwis feel especially welcome.
Core identity
According to Māori culture, two people greet each other by touching their noses and foreheads and ending with a handshake. This ritual is meant to convey the breath of life to each other.
Not only that, foreign visitors to New Zealand for the first time will be surprised to see Māori people rolling their eyes and sticking out their tongues at them. In fact, this is also another way for them to show their welcome to guests.
Perhaps because of enjoying many advantages of nature, New Zealand people are generous, gentle and friendly.
The country's culture is primarily made up of two main cultural groups: the indigenous Māori and Europeans.
Today, Māori make up about 15% of New Zealand's population and their language is the second official language alongside English here.
The Māori people are descended from indigenous peoples of Eastern Polynesia who migrated by small boats to New Zealand between 1250 and 1300.
Over the centuries, the Polynesian indigenous people developed a unique and distinct culture called Māori, with its own language, rich mythology, distinctive performing arts and exquisite crafts. Today, this culture remains a core element of New Zealand’s identity.
Another characteristic of Māori culture that can be easily seen is the patterned tattoos on the face. Māori people use knives made from sharpened bones, sharp stones or shark teeth to draw these tattoos. Māori Aboriginal people believe that tattoos help Māori men become braver and stronger in battle and women become more attractive.
Because this is a multicultural society, people are very hospitable and friendly to people from other places and ethnicities. They easily make friends, build relationships and integrate into society.
As a country with many religions, with Christianity being the majority, New Zealand has many followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc.
Another thing that may surprise you is that New Zealanders go barefoot everywhere. From restaurants, supermarkets to bars… people like to go barefoot. Especially in the summer, shoes are not a mandatory item for the locals.
Nightlife in New Zealand is very peaceful, at 6-7pm the streets become deserted. People mainly spend their evenings at home and go to bed at 10pm. However, on weekends, regardless of age, gender, they will party together at bars until morning. Weekends here are no different from festivals.
Immerse yourself in nature
New Zealanders love sports, with rugby being the most popular sport in the community.
Rugby is so popular in New Zealand that you can easily catch dramatic matches in schools and sports centres.
It is no coincidence that adventure sports are very popular in the land of kiwis. With a terrain blessed by nature with many majestic volcanic peaks, high snow-capped mountains, long white sand beaches... creating spectacular entertainment areas, suitable for sports such as skydiving, zorbing, rowing... This is also a country that attracts tourists with many adventure games, attractive outdoor activities such as: mountain climbing, downhill skiing by car, trekking through the forest by cable car, golfing, skiing...
Visiting New Zealand, you will have days to immerse yourself in the fresh nature, meet friendly animals such as dolphins, seals, whales...
As a land famous for its poetic beaches, majestic mountain ranges, and high blue skies... the peaceful beauty and purity that Mother Nature bestows on the land of the kiwi is a very special attraction, making anyone who comes to New Zealand feel forever impressed.
There are many more interesting things in this beautiful country waiting for you to discover for yourself, so consider taking a trip to the land of kiwis this summer!
The island nation of New Zealand is currently among the top 20 economies in the world, consisting of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, and several smaller islands. Located in the Southwest Pacific, the symbol of New Zealand is the kiwi, the smallest bird in the ostrich order (weighing only about 2-3kg) and an endemic animal. The island nation has more than 5.2 million people, of which more than 50% live in the four largest cities: Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington (North Island) and Hamilton (South Island). |
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