Waitangi Day

British  

/ waɪˈtʌŋiː /

noun

1. the national day of New Zealand (Feb 6), commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (1840) by Māori chiefs and a representative of the British Government. The treaty provided the basis for the British annexation of New Zealand

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Example Sentences

Waitangi Day is named for the region on the North Island where representatives of the British Crown and more than 500 indigenous Maori chiefs signed a founding treaty in 1840.

From Reuters • Feb. 6, 2022

Both women had been in the Northland region to do some filming ahead of New Zealand’s national day, Waitangi Day, on Feb. 6.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 29, 2022

Prime ministers usually attend Waitangi Day events at the invitation of the Maori trustees of the Te Tii Marae land, on which the Waitangi Treaty was signed.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2016

Hundreds of Waka Ama crew perform the haka on the beach to celebrate Waitangi Day in Waitangi, New Zealand.

From The Guardian • Aug. 14, 2015

In New Zealand, thousands of people were at the beach, swimming in the sea on a glorious summer day on Waitangi Day, a national holiday — quite oblivious to the potential for a tsunami.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2013