• 7 years ago
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in New Zealand on Friday, where she gave a hongi to several officials and elders at Government House in Auckland as part of a powhiri (welcoming ceremony).

A hongi is a traditional Maori greeting which involves pressing one's nose and forehead to the other person at the same time. It is believed to be based on the sharing of the breath of life given to humans by the gods, as per Maori folklore.

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