← Greetings

The māori hongi

Two fronts, two noses in a hurry: sharing the ha, breath of life.

Category : GreetingsSubcategory : salutations-corps-entierConfidence level : 3/5 (documented hypothesis)Identifier : e0237

Meaning

Target direction : The hongi is the traditional Māori greeting: two people come face to face and press their foreheads and noses together, exhaling slowly. It's an exchange of ha (vital breath). Meaning: respect, spiritual connection, mutual recognition.

Interpreted meaning : Western visitors confuse hongi with kissing or inappropriate intimacy. Some refuse or misinterpret the gesture, perceiving it as a violation of personal space. Non-respect for the hongi offers the māori people.

Geography of misunderstanding

1. The gesture and its expected meaning

The hongi ("breathing together") is the ceremonial greeting of the Māori people, native to New Zealand. Two people come face to face, press their foreheads (rae) and noses (ihu) together, and exhale slowly. This exchange of breath - ha or mana (vital spirit) - creates a spiritual and physical connection symbolizing mutual respect, recognition of the other, transmission of energy and alliance.

The hongi is used in formal contexts: formal meetings, powhiri ceremonies (traditional welcome), funerals, cultural events. The two participants lower their knees slightly, touch nose to nose, maintain contact for 2-3 seconds, then slowly separate. During the hongi, the eyes remain open and the gaze is direct (mutually affirmed trust).

Historically and spiritually, hongi is not a superficial physical act: it's a ritual act in which sincere intention is paramount. To refuse or perform it without respect is a serious offense in Māori cosmology.

2. Where things go wrong: the geography of misunderstanding

In New Zealand: the hongi is universal and expected in formal political, cultural and sporting contexts. Foreign visitors who refuse the hongi or perform it awkwardly cause unintentional offence. On the "All Blacks" international rugby tours, refusal of the hongi by an opposing team has triggered diplomatic controversy.

Common misconceptions:

• Kiss vs. hongi: Westerners confuse the hongi with a kiss on the mouth or cheek, which provokes an embarrassed recoil. The hongi is not a kiss - it's an exchange of nasal and forehead breath without lip contact.
• Violation of personal space: Westerners, accustomed to greater interpersonal distance, find hongi too close and intimate. In reality, it's a respectful spiritual expression, not an act of bodily intimacy.
• False pretense: a hongi performed insincerely (out of automatic politeness) is perceived as unintentional mockery. The Māori know the difference between sincere hongi and "touristy" hongi.

Geography of the conflict: mainly in New Zealand (international tourism), but also at diplomatic meetings, international sports competitions and public Māori cultural events.

3. Historical background

Hongi is a practice whose origins date back to the beginnings of Polynesian civilization and Māori cosmological philosophy. Māori archaeological and oral evidence (kōrero pūrākau) does not precisely date the practice, but links it to the conception of ha (breath/spirit) in ancestral Polynesian cosmology (1200+ years).

The practice was culturally reinforced during the pre-contact and post-contact eras (since European colonization, 1769). During the colonial period (1840-1950), hongi was marginalized by British authorities and missionary schools as "barbaric" or "primitive". The māori revival of the 1970s-1980s reaffirmed hongi as a central identity marker.

In the 1970s-1980s, with the Māori cultural revival and the legal recognition of te reo Māori (the Māori language), hongi was reintegrated into state protocols, public ceremonies and education. Today, hongi is mandatory in official ceremonies in New Zealand.

4. famous documented incidents

• International rugby - hongi refusal (1980s-2000s) Several rugby teams visiting New Zealand refused or clumsily performed the hongi presented by the All Blacks before matches. The most notorious incidents included South African teams (apartheid, racial tensions) and Samoan teams who had their own welcoming rituals. Each refusal caused intense local media coverage. Confidence: 3 - incidents documented but without precise primary sources.

• Prince Harry, visit New Zealand 2015. During an official visit, Prince Harry correctly performed the hongi during a Māori welcoming ceremony. This act of respect was hailed by the Japanese media as an intelligent diplomatic gesture. Trust: 4 - established media coverage.

• **Several international business delegations (USA, Asia, Europe) requested an "exemption" from hongi for health or cultural reasons. The New Zealand government had to clarify that the hongi was an integral part of national protocol and that refusing it was an offense. Confidence: 2 - anecdotes reported but no centralized published documentation.

5. Practical recommendations

• To do: accept hongi if offered. Lower knees slightly, present forehead slightly bent, breathe deeply. Maintain nose-front contact for 2-3 seconds without blinking. Withdraw slowly.

• Never: refuse a hongi offered in a formal ceremony. Do not interpret the hongi as a kiss (do not turn your head towards the lips). Do not perform the hongi eagerly or casually - this signals disrespect.

• If allergic/phobic: inform the organizers in advance; a powhiri may in general propose alternatives such as an alternative hongi or a verbal greeting, but this refusal must be explained and respected.

• For delegations: learn hongi before an official visit to New Zealand. Valuing the gesture publicly communicates respect for māori culture."

Documented incidents

• — Lors d'une visite officielle, le Prince Harry exécute correctement un hongi lors d'une cérémonie māori. Cet acte de respect a été largement salué par les médias néo-zélandais.

Practical recommendations

Neutral alternatives

• If allergic/phobic: inform in advance and propose a respectful alternative greeting.
• Shaking hands in international business contexts.

Sources