Why a marae is special to the community

A marae is significant and special to the community and every community around New Zealand. It's the heart of the people. 

 A marae is where families gather and spend time with each other. The main reason
people visit a marae relates to tangihanga. All marae allows people to learn about their
whakapapa and tupuna. 

In a marae, families cluster and get into conversations with other families.
Some families play sports and games with each other like monopoly, twister and more. 
Others go to the marae to celebrate 21st birthdays, weddings, reunions, anniversaries
and such. As a result, you build a relationship with whanau and you discover a place
where you feel welcome, like you belong.

The most significant thing in a Marae is tangihanga. Tangihanga is a traditional
funeral for maori people when someone has passed away. When the person gets buried
people do a haka when the coffin comes out of the marae so the person that has passed,
remembers his home place and what his Marae is about. When the person gets to the u
rupa/cemetery they do another haka so the person can remember his loved ones.
To sum it up tangihanga is the most important thing to a marae because its about your
loved ones that have passed.

When you enter a marae you see photos and those photos are people that have passed
and that have been in war. A marae is about your tupuna and whakapapa the people
that belong to the marae and the people that have made the land. When your in front
of a marae if you look at the carvings those represent your tupuna and whakapapa.
So in development learning about your whakapapa and tupuna is important to your
culture.

So in conclusion a marae is special to our community because it’s a place where our Maori culture is alive.  It's where families gather and spend time with everyone. It's a place to say goodbye to a loved one.  Lastly, it’s where you can learn about your whakapapa and tupuna and know that you will always belong.