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YOUNG COUPLE BENJAMIN and Aaliyah Anderson got married in a Mormon temple in New Zealand last weekend.
What they didn’t realise was how a video of part of their ceremony would end up going viral.
Their families performed a haka – organised by Benjamin Armstrong’s best man – during which both the bride and groom shed tears.
The video (filmed by Westone Productions) of the haka, which is a Maoiri ancestral war dance (you probably recognise it from New Zealand rugby games), has since gone viral, and if you watch it you’ll see why:
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Great clip but come on journal, don’t turn this into buzzfeed with click bait titles and cut and paste write ups. Any chance of finding out what this particular hakka means? What’s the symbology? Find out a bit more about the couple?
Have you been on the journal recently? It’s been like this for ages. I have nothing articles featuring interesting stuff like this but there’s no effort put in, you get more info from the average Reddit post. It’s like they just went and got a load of recent Journalism grads and let them loose on the internet.
Hey Average Joe, thanks for your comment.
Just to explain, the ‘Take a Break’ posts go up every weekday at 11 and are a short post about a video/image/story. They’re not usually in-depth. That said, I have included a link embedded in the article to a short interview with Benjamin Armstrong if you’d like to read further.
Re it being ‘clickbait’, the headline is factual – it’s an emotional haka being performed at a wedding, and it has gone viral. If I’d said ‘you’ll never guess what happens next’ etc then the clickbait comment would be fair enough, but I think this headline isn’t particularly leading.
It’s just encouraging people to watch the video (we don’t want to turn people away from reading articles). The job of a headline is to get someone to read on. I have included some information also on what a haka is, though as you say I haven’t gone massively in-depth into it.
I’ll absolutely take your comments on board. Also, we have at least 60 articles a day, with a wide range of styles (longreads, political analysis, shorter posts like this).
Thanks,
Aoife
@guy incognito, regarding the journalism graduates, that’s exactly what they did. No coincidence that everyone who writes for the Journal is in the same age bracket.
You’re wrong there John, I’m probably older than you realise!
“Find out a bit more about the couple?”
??? very nosey
Jesus unbelievable if the article gets you all cynical and nasty … do not read it
How am I supposed to know if the article will make me cynical and nasty if I don’t read it?
Thanks Aoife, I appreciate the reply and thanks for the additional information.
Jesus the people in this comment section are a bitter shower! I’m not exactly sure what you were expecting with the headline but I was expecting a haka at a wedding which is exactly what I got!
Unbelievable the comments. Some people just need to bitch
And this is why I think that NZ is so much more advanced that Australia..
So much more respect for Maori culture by the Nation, and by non-Maoris in general than is ever likely to happen in Australia.
But whatever… well wishes to couple and their families :)
Have you ever had anything to do with native Australians ?
Couldn’t agree more Chris; it’s incredible how the indigenous culture is held in such regard; the white settlers have become more native than the natives themselves you could say. A what an awesome cultural expression!!!
Well… I don’t know about that. There’s a long standing issue between white and indigenous culture in both oz and nz. Just because white New Zealanders love the haka like the rest of the world doesn’t mean much.
Can’t people just get married anymore and not splatter it all over the internet?
Pfft…. Got nothing on a load of drunk people doing the Seige of Ennis.
Saw this earlier and it really moved me, they have such passion and love for their country and people, and I think it was a really nice gesture from their loved ones to give them on their wedding day. I could watch the haka all day.
This haka means the journey from boy to manhood , lot of kids learn it in school very young in NZ . This haka comes from Ngati Kahungunu tribal leader , it’s called tika tonu…
And bears no significance to a wedding…end of
Oh, end of? Oh, well then. Everyone better shut up.
The haka isn’t a rugby dance in case the All Blacks have you confused there. It’s a cultural display performed at weddings and funerals as well, or just as a sign of respect to an individual. I bet you think your fellas are a great bunch of lads when they break out in an Irish dance at weddings though.
That’s amazing .
I don’t know what I’m more annoyed with, another Haka or another clickbait from The Journal
If I see one more “spine tingling”, “incredible” or “emotional” haka I’m going to get sick
Well don’t watch them so…you know…for your health and all.
I didn’t bother watching, I am sick of seeing the Haka at this stage, all it take is a fly to fart and it’s Haka time!
Amazing haka.
P.a. Haka is not simply a war dance, often used for funerals, welcomes and other occasions
Another oh look what we did at our wedding video in the hope it goes viral…getting cliche at this stage
Is this not why ye have ‘The Daily Edge’ ?
Watching the video of Hakas…just the savegery of man, pure strength , determination, teamwork of human ancestors and how they’d fight for clan…it’s different today, we’re too selfish and self-centred.
Get lonely up there on your high horse? Actually, in your case its probably a unicorn…
Is there no place left on the planet that is safe from the Mormons
Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!
Lucy Harris smart smart smart
Smart smart smart smart smart
Martin Harris dumb
I cried ……
So did the bride, she was bleedin’ bricking herself!
Thats the i react when i get my property tax.
1. 17 mins in. You would’nt come home late with beers in to that, for so many reasons.
So sick of “This incredibly emotional…” and the haka .this and haka that! However “No recording or filming is allowed within a Mormon temple.” and men must wear “a suit (not a tuxedo) or white shirt and slacks.” So this wedding is obviously not in the mormon temple.
It’s crap.. and not very many Maori. I see a lot of colonial ancestors there
There aren’t any pure Maori anymore. Most look mixed like those in the video these days.
I thought that was pretty cool . very emotional and a great memory to have on your wedding day .
A ceremonial war dance sets you up right for marriage.
You know what would be class? Instead of school kids doing morning prayers or whatever the various denominations do, let them do a haka to get pumped for the learning and some early morning or. More fun too I’d imagine
Chronic masturbators the lot of them….
The haka should be only used when the all blacks are playing rugger. The likes of this take the good out of it.
Wat a dumb thing to say , did you think haka is only invented for rugby?
What a dumb reply. No lady but it’s the only place I want to see it.
That was only a condensed pre-marriage course on consummation
It all looks a bit professionaly done for my liking. It’s a great video to watch but i wouldn’t be surprised if there was no actual wedding and it’d just an attempt to get viral. There’s big money to be made by creating viral content.
Imagine seeing some guy do this at the start of a druken fight in town.. even the cops would be scared lol
It’s just not right seeing a big fat white man doing the Hakka, leave it to the natives. I just had to stop the video early on.
Wonderful culture & tradtion…Much respect!
The Hakka yer womman
That is pure class.
Wow.. That was pretty amazing.. What beautiful memories for them to carry through their marriage..
Brilliant, but you have to admit that “the grooms side” look a bit out of their depth
Oh look newzealders doing a haka, how very rare a thing to see. Seriously are they doing the haka for everything now. It was cool n’all but so what
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