Hongi

This morning, we said goodbye to our fabulous bus driver George. George was much more than our bus driver, he served as our guide and leader as we learned about traditions of the Maori people. One of the most important Maori traditions is the powhiri or welcome. In this picture, I am engaging in a hongi with George. A hongi is a traditional form of greeting among the Maori and is the final step in the powhiri. To hongi, you hold the hand of the person you are greeting as though you were shaking their hand while placing your other hand on their shoulder. You then lean forward and lightly press your forehead to the other person's forehead and your nose to their nose. This light pressing of noses may be repeated once. The pressing of noses symbolizes an exchanging of breath. After breath has been exchanged, a visitor is no longer seen as a visitor and instead is welcomed as a (temporary) member of the Maori group he or she is visiting.