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Waitangi Day is a public holiday that is observed throughout New Zealand to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between the British Crown and Maori Chiefs at Waitangi in 1840.
Waitangi Day has been commemorated since the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, and Lady Bledisloe, gifted the Treaty House and grounds to the nation in 1932. The gift and the events of 6 February 1840 were first officially commemorated there two years later. The day has been a public holiday since 1974. In the last 25–30 years the style and mood of the commemorations have been influenced by debate surrounding the status of the Treaty of Waitangi in modern-day New Zealand.
The Governor-General attends community functions celebrating Waitangi Day throughout the country.
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