Experience the Hongi
the Traditional Maori Gesture of Greeting and Welcome

One of the highlights of the unique and fascinating Maori culture of New Zealand is the Hongi– a gesture of greeting and welcome. The hongi is a ceremonial touching or rubbing together of noses and is seen in the Maori tradition as holding a great spiritual significance. The word “Hongi” literally translates as “sharing of breath”– where the ha, the breath of life, is exchanged among two individuals. The Maori people believe that their gods passed this custom directly down to them.

Numerous Maori ceremonies prominently incorporate the Hongi. A prime example is the Powhiri– the Maori welcoming ritual. If you travel throughout New Zealand’s North Island, you might be fortunate enough to observe this beautiful ceremony and witness the Hongi’s central role in it. The Powhiri is a means of repelling evil spirits, and the Maori believe that it is essential to achieving friendly, harmonious relations between a given tribe and visitors to it.

There are two parties to a Powhiri: the host and the visitor (manuhiri). The host tribe is called the Tangata Whenua, and it plays the most active role in this elaborate welcoming rite. First, a prayer– or inoi– is offered in hopes of maintaining peace and safety for all involved. Then there’s a display of martial prowess– the wero, or challenge– delivered by the host tribe’s strongest warriors. The wero is intended to verify whether the visitors come in peace. If they are undeterred by the military display and do not react with hostility, then they are most likely friendly.

After the wero, one of the tribe’s female elders delivers the karanga, which lets the guests into the Maori meeting house or Marae. The Powhiri continues there as the guests and hosts are aligned facing each other. The mihi (speeches) discuss Maori folklore and legends of ancestors, guardian spirits, and the creator. They also address why the Powhiri ceremony takes place and its significance to the Maori Culture. A waiata (song) follows each speech as a sign of affirmation for the speaker.

Then the visitors give the host tribe a gift or koha– which today is most likely a monetary offering. The Hongi is the culmination of the ceremony; the final gesture of peace and friendship– after which the hosts and guests sit down to a delicious meal of New Zealand food and drink in harmony and friendship.

The Hongi is a simple gesture, but its place in the Powhiri ceremony showcases its deep importance in Maori culture. Any visitor to a Maori tribe who partakes in a Hongi can consider him- or herself extraordinarily fortunate. Perhaps you will have a chance to experience this unique tradition on your New Zealand vacation.