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This dad performed a traditional Māori Haka—a traditional ceremonial performance—to greet his son at the airport, and it had everyone in the terminal tearing up!
The Māori Haka is a ceremonial dance that involves chanting, foot stamping, and some pretty impressive choreography. While in the past it was often associated with battle preparations, the ceremonial Haka was also performed for a more heartwarming purpose: the welcoming of honored guests.
In a video shared on Reddit, one Māori dad decided to surprise his son at the airport with his very own Haka. After returning from a trip, the son might have been expecting his dad to pick him up, but he almost certainly didn’t anticipate how epic and emotional his dad’s welcome would be! Not only was the son visibly moved by his dad’s performance, but other airport visitors stopped to watch the moving performance and even teared up!
The video begins when the dad spots his son leaving the plane. The dad, who is wearing shorts and a t-shirt, stands in the middle of the terminal and begins the Haka. The dance starts slowly, with the dad rhythmically slapping his thighs. Then, it speeds up as the dad begins to chant.
The camera pans over to show the son standing about 10 feet away from his dad, watching the performance. The son watches respectfully, never pulling his gaze away from his dad. All around, airport visitors begin to notice the performance, and stop to watch.
The dad continues to perform, the energy building, as he pours his heart into the Haka. Then, the dance ends and he falls silent. All around, airport visitors begin to cheer and applaud. Moved by the performance, the man’s son walks towards him and clasps his hand. Then, overcome with emotion, the father and son hug.
“There was not a dry eye in the house,” the poster writes.
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Commenters were blown away by the dad’s performance—and his love for his son!
“That’s some different energy down there. My dad is a stern, intimidating man. I could never imagine him doing this,” one commenter wrote.
“To me, a Haka is very emotional and very beautiful. I feel privileged to be able to observe,” another comment chimed in.
While there are plenty of creative ways to greet loved ones at the airport, this dad’s Haka was truly unique!
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The post Dad greets son at airport with traditional Māori Haka: ‘Not a dry eye in the house’ appeared first on In The Know.
