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In Maori mythology it is believed that the souls of the dead travel north to Cape Reinga in the far north, but persons of rank were sometimes believed to rise up to the sky.The tangi-hanga is important in making sure that the departing soul has a smooth & safe journey back to spiritual homeland, so certain rituals are performed over a 3-day period. The body of the dead person is taken to the Marae to lie in state in the meeting house. As visitors arrive at the marae the old woman raise the tangi & greeting s or hongi are exchanged. During this time, the elders discuss where the body will be buried. The decision is made by the oldest member of the dead person's family if general agreement can not reached. On the third day of mourning, the coffin is carried to the burial site & it is lowered into the ground. Different tribes have different customs about entering cemeteries but most observe the custom of not allowing any jewellery, money, cigarettes or food. After the burial everyone returns to have a celebratory feast to show that the period of mourning has ended.
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Birthdays
Most of the Christain parants always choose the God Parents for a three 3 month old baby boy they are two God fathers and one God mother.
For the baby girl there are two God mothers and one God father. After that they will have a family party and drinki and wish for the baby for good future.
For the God parents they are promise to looking after the baby until they are 18 years old.
When the child is 18 years old it means they are independent. And they are designing to living on their own. Some of them are studying and working at the same time so have their own life without their parents.
The 21st is the most important birthday for New Zealanders. When they are 21 they usually have a big party to celebrate and invite their friends and relatives to their party. They will receive a lot of presents.
The next important birthday is 2nd year after married because they have... you know.
Generally, when people have a birthday, they used to go to the pub, disco and resturant . Drinking and eating and talking with friends.
Labour Day
In New Zealand, there are many festivals every year, Labour Day is the one of them.
In order to commemorate workers who started to work 40 hours per weeks , the government of New Zealand set up Labour Day. The day is the last Monday of October every year. The first Labour Day began in 1936. On this day, workers have a day off. They have a holiday---playing golf, going swimming or going traveling.... All shops used to close on this day, but now things have changed. Some shops are allowed to open. Labour Day has a little connection with the Labour Party through the Union.
Shanlin Xie
Wenyi Tu
Melbourne Cup Day
Melbourne Cup Day is Australian's premier horse racing event where everyone stops work for 3-and -a -half minutes to watch . It is always held on the first Tuesday in November .
The race started in 1861 at the Flemington Racecourse , it had 17 starters and the winner took home 170 pounds and a hand beaten gold watch instead of a trophy .
The race hasn't changes much except that A$10 million changes hands today. People who wouldn't normally know one end of a horse from another will have an opinion on which horse is going to win the Melbourne cup. Most of them will put their money where their mouth is .
LiXiaoWen (Joan)
& Charng, Yun-Huey (Marleen)
Weddings
Every bride and groom hope for the best wedding. However in the past they had to go to a church with a religious ceremony whether you are religious or not. Nowadays there are no hard rules. Usually the wedding ceremony in New Zealand have three types: church, civil or registry and office.
CIVIL WEDDING is a private ceremony. It has been becoming more and more popular for many New Zealanders. You could choose a religious or nonreligious service and the place for your civil wedding ceremony . If you like, you can hold your wedding ceremony at home, at the reception venue, on the beach or in a park . The couple must prepaire decorations , flowers, music and catering.
REGISTRY OFFICE WEDDING is a short and simple service. It takes place during working hours at the office of the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. There is a reguler declaration to be made in front of the register. The bride and the groom may exchange their rings. The people who prefer a quiet, private wedding often select this type .
CHURCH WEDDING is the most traditional and formal type of wedding ceremony. However many newlyweds hope to have a church wedding . It takes place in a church then they hold a reception in another place. The bride's mother administrates the guest list and sends the invitations. The guests being invited to the reception send a gift, whether or not they are able to attend. The common way is that the guests ask for a wedding list of things couple needs from the bride's mother and then buy one of items. The bride is likely to wear a long white gown. The groom usually wears a grey or black suit with a white shirt and a tie. The bride has her bridesmaids and the groom has a best man and his groomsmen who support the bride and the groom. They must prepair the music, flowers, reception, ceremony ,etc. Traditionally, the bride's parents pay . In these days, both sides family share the fees, even the couple pay by themselves (a lady told us). According to custom, the groom should not see the bride before she joins him at the front of the church on their wedding day.
Shine. Shuhua Wang
John. Ping Yang
Heather. Haihua Gao