Next: 6 Feb 2027
Waitangi Day
New Zealand's national day, remembering the 1840 treaty, with a powhiri and dawn ceremony at Waitangi.
When is Waitangi Day in 2027?
Waitangi Day 2027 is on Saturday, 6 February 2027. Other years: 2026, Friday, 6 February 2026; 2028, Sunday, 6 February 2028.
About Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day, 6 February, marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 between the British Crown and more than 500 Maori chiefs. The main events are held at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in the Bay of Islands, where the treaty was first signed. The day begins with a dawn service, a naval and military welcome, and a powhiri, a traditional Maori welcome with calls, speeches and the hongi, the pressing of noses. War canoes, waka, are paddled in the bay, and there is kapa haka, performing arts, with song and haka. The treaty remains the subject of debate over its meaning and the place of Maori in the nation, and the day is a time for reflection as well as celebration. Elsewhere, communities hold picnics and concerts.
Waitangi Day dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Waitangi Day date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, 6 February 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday, 6 February 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, 6 February 2028 |
What is eaten
- hangi
- fry bread
- pavlova
Traditions of Waitangi Day
Also part of it, and being written: Treaty of Waitangi (The document remembered.), Powhiri (The formal welcome.), Waka (The Maori canoes.).
More marked on Waitangi Day
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Waitangi Day" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.