Discover New Zealand"s Amazing Culture
Renowned worldwide as one of the most scenic and hospitable countries in the world, New Zealand is the perfect holiday destination. Apart from its stunning landscape and friendly people, it also has a fascinating cultural background which is steeped in centuries of tradition and well worth delving into by anyone who visits the nation.
New Zealand, of course, is culturally unique in that it is the home of the historic Maori. The nation's indigenous people, the Maori are a Polynesian group whose history is inextricably intertwined with that of New Zealand. Although the Maori population was significantly affected by European migration to the country, recent decades has seen an increase in numbers once again. Traces of many of the original Maoris' distinct cultural practices from hundreds and hundreds of years ago can still be seen and are very much kept alive in New Zealand today.
The Maori's culture has partly been defined by the arts and skills they have pioneered over the years, and this continues to be the case; anyone taking a trip to New Zealand should take advantage of any opportunity they get to explore examples of these in more detail. Carving and weaving are two essential parts of Maori culture that westerners can strongly identify with, whilst several other customs such as poi and haka, although recognised all over the world, are unique to the Maori.
Many western people will be familiar with the famous haka dance, which is perhaps the best known example of Maori culture that is still prominent in New Zealand and can be widely seen across the country to this day. One type of haka (€Ka Mate') will be familiar to sports fans in particular, with the All Blacks rugby union team regularly performing the ritual before their matches all over the world. There are, however, many other versions of this famous dance, and they are not all aggressive €war cries' or challenges. Haka, for instance, is often performed as a welcome to esteemed guests or a celebration of great achievements and can be personally witnessed during a trip to this extraordinary country.
New Zealand's €high culture' is unlike that of many other countries, in that it can be divided into two separate, distinct sections - that of the Maori and that which has been inspired by the western world. This has led to the nation's arts scene being impressively diverse and comprised of a number of distinct mediums. High quality museums and art galleries are prominent throughout New Zealand, with the national museum (Te Papa) serving as a particular highlight.
New Zealand, of course, is culturally unique in that it is the home of the historic Maori. The nation's indigenous people, the Maori are a Polynesian group whose history is inextricably intertwined with that of New Zealand. Although the Maori population was significantly affected by European migration to the country, recent decades has seen an increase in numbers once again. Traces of many of the original Maoris' distinct cultural practices from hundreds and hundreds of years ago can still be seen and are very much kept alive in New Zealand today.
The Maori's culture has partly been defined by the arts and skills they have pioneered over the years, and this continues to be the case; anyone taking a trip to New Zealand should take advantage of any opportunity they get to explore examples of these in more detail. Carving and weaving are two essential parts of Maori culture that westerners can strongly identify with, whilst several other customs such as poi and haka, although recognised all over the world, are unique to the Maori.
Many western people will be familiar with the famous haka dance, which is perhaps the best known example of Maori culture that is still prominent in New Zealand and can be widely seen across the country to this day. One type of haka (€Ka Mate') will be familiar to sports fans in particular, with the All Blacks rugby union team regularly performing the ritual before their matches all over the world. There are, however, many other versions of this famous dance, and they are not all aggressive €war cries' or challenges. Haka, for instance, is often performed as a welcome to esteemed guests or a celebration of great achievements and can be personally witnessed during a trip to this extraordinary country.
New Zealand's €high culture' is unlike that of many other countries, in that it can be divided into two separate, distinct sections - that of the Maori and that which has been inspired by the western world. This has led to the nation's arts scene being impressively diverse and comprised of a number of distinct mediums. High quality museums and art galleries are prominent throughout New Zealand, with the national museum (Te Papa) serving as a particular highlight.
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