''Tangihanga'', or more commonly, ''tangi'', is a traditional

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...

rite held on a

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

. While still widely practised, it is not universally observed in modern times. Each iwi (tribe/nation) differs on how they honour those who pass. ''Tangihanga'' generally take three days with burial on the third day. From the moment of death, the (body of the deceased) is rarely alone. The is transported (usually from a hospital and via a funeral home) to the

. There they are welcomed with a and will lie in state for at least two nights, usually in an open coffin, in the . Kawakawa877

Throughout the tangihanga, the is flanked by the (the bereaved family) (sometimes called the or mourners), who take few and short breaks, dress in black, and sometimes wreath their heads in kawakawa leaves. Around the coffin, flowers and photographs of deceased relatives are placed. Tangihanga-Tuhourangi-1905

Visitors come during the day, sometimes from great distances despite only a distant relationship, to address the deceased. They may speak frankly of his or her faults as well as virtues, but singing and joking are also appropriate. Free expression of grief by both men and women is encouraged. Traditional beliefs may be invoked, and the deceased is told to return to the ancestral homeland,

Hawaiki In Polynesian mythology, (also rendered as in Cook Islands Māori, in Samoan, in Tahitian, in Hawaiian) is the original home of the Polynesians, before dispersal across Polynesia. It also features as the underworld in many Māori stories. ...

, by way of , the spirits' journey. The close kin may not speak. It is traditional for mourners to wash their hands in water and sprinkle some on their heads before leaving the area where the ''tūpāpaku'' lies in state. Traditionally, the visitors would bring famous taonga (treasures), such as kākā and kiwi feather-cloaks and

pounamu Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in southern New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture. Name The Māori word , also used ...

mere, which would be placed alongside the ''tūpāpaku''. These items were inherited by the heirs of the deceased, who were then expected to return them to the original owners at subsequent tangihanga. This practice was called ''kōpaki''. On the last night, the (night of ending), the mourners hold a vigil and at a time assigned by custom (sometimes midnight, sometimes sunrise) the coffin is closed, before a church or ''

'' funeral service and/or graveside interment ceremony, invariably

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

in modern times. As with the area the lies, it is traditional for mourners to wash their hands in water and sprinkle some on their heads before leaving the cemetery. After the burial rites are completed, a (feast) is traditionally served. Mourners are expected to provide or gifts towards the meal. After the burial, the home of the deceased and the place where the deceased died are ritually cleansed with (prayers or incantations) and desanctified with food and drink, in a ceremony called , trampling the house. That night, the (night of entertainment) is a night of relaxation and rest. The widow or widower is not left alone for several nights following. Both in traditional times and modern, the tangi of high-profile individuals can be both extended and elaborate. A 2011 court case ruled that funeral traditions do not over-rule

common law In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omniprese ...

References

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