Weddings are a sacred event where two families become one. It’s fascinating how different cultures celebrate marriage with vastly different ceremonies and traditions.
Some Greek wedding ceremonies incorporate the joining of hands and place crowns on the heads of both the bride and groom. While Jewish bride and grooms are married under a canopy called a chuppah or huppah which is followed by the breaking of a glass.
A lesser known wedding tradition that is becoming more well known through social media is a tradition of New Zealand’s indigenous people, the Mãori, known as a haka wedding dance.
The kaka is a traditional war dance but is also performed when groups come together in peace, according to The Huffington Post.
Jackson Tamaariki of Auckland, New Zealand, and his groomsmen performed a very powerful haka the day he married his wife Jennifer.
“It was very emotional,” Jennifer told Stuff.co.nz.
Jackson’s friend, Takoha Ropati, reportedly choreographed the dance to include hakas from different tribes that represented the backgrounds of those who performed it.
Jackson wanted to include the performance at his wedding to honor his Mãori, Cook Islander and Tahitian heritage.
“This haka, done in this way, by these men, for this kaupapa, has never been seen before and will never be seen live again,” Donna Tamaariki, the groom’s mother said.”
The wedding also incorporated Kurdish dances to celebrate Jennifer’s heritage.
“I think it’s quite uncommon for a Mãori man to be married to a Kurdish woman,” Jennifer said. “It was important for our families and for us and allowed our guests an insight into the cultural dynamics of our relationship.
The video of their kaka wedding dance was posted on YouTube where it got more than 1.4 million views.
“This is what pride looks like… not letting anyone take away your culture or shame you for it! Congrats,” said one commenter.
Many who watched the video said it gave them the chills or brought them to tears to see such cultural beauty.
The dance is characterized by men shouting, beating their chests and sticking their tongues out in an aggressive and powerful fashion.
“Culture is beautiful,” one said.
Others were enchanted by the energy and life that the dancers brought to the sacred dance.
“That was intense and um totally sexy!! Can only imagine how it felt in person. Amazing,” someone commented.
“Then every female within a 10-mile radius became pregnant,” another joked.
You can watch Jackson and Jennifer’s moving wedding haka dance in the video below.
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source: Jackson Out & About via Storyful
