Tangihanga: Māori funeral customs, etiquette and process
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A tangihanga (tangi) is the enduring Māori ceremony for mourning someone who has died. It usually runs for about three days on a marae, though it can be held in a hall or a private home. The body lies in an open coffin, the bereaved whānau pani are with it, visitors are welcomed, and a service and burial at the urupā close the tangihanga.
Te Ara, the government's encyclopedia, says "tangi" also means to weep and to sing a dirge, and that the dead are acknowledged at all Māori gatherings, through karanga (calls), whaikōrero (speeches), song and tears, which reminds people of their whakapapa and "the importance of life, people and relationships" (Te Ara: Tangihanga, Understanding tangihanga). This guide is for anyone who is attending a tangihanga for the first time, helping whānau to arrange one, or working alongside whānau as an employer, a colleague or a funeral director. It describes the pattern that Te Ara records. Customs vary by iwi and hapū, and the marae and whānau decide the details, so please treat this as background, not instructions. Costs and leave are covered on our tangihanga costs page.
The process, in order
| Stage | What Te Ara describes |
|---|---|
| Preparing the tūpāpaku | The body is usually prepared by an undertaker and displayed in an open coffin |
| Bringing the tūpāpaku to the marae | The body is welcomed onto the marae with the whānau pani. The marae's kawa (ceremonial rules) decides where the coffin is placed, for example in a separate house beside the wharenui, under the window on the verandah, or inside the wharenui |
| The days of tangihanga | Visitors are welcomed onto the marae over the days, and speeches, songs and chants are exchanged. Tangihanga "generally last for around three days", and traditionally longer, depending on the status of the deceased and the time needed for loved ones from afar to attend |
| Poroporoaki | Spoken farewells continue to be delivered to the person as if they were still alive, because the wairua is believed to remain with the body for some time |
| The final day | Usually a service led by a minister, priest or tohunga, then burial at the urupā. Most urupā have a water container at the entrance so people can wash their hands as they leave, to remove tapu |
| Takahi whare | The tapu of the deceased's home is removed when a minister or tohunga walks through the house chanting karakia |
| Later | Hura kōhatu, the unveiling of the gravestone, is usually about a year after the tangi. Kawe mate takes the memory of the person, represented by a photograph, to those who could not attend |
The hākari, or feast, is described as "an important part of all Māori death customs": the whānau pani are symbolically welcomed back among the living (Te Ara: The tangihanga process). Te Ara also notes that someone should remain with the tūpāpaku at all times, and that "open grieving and outpouring of emotion is encouraged" (Te Ara: Tangihanga in modern times).
Terms you will hear
- Tūpāpaku: the body of the person who has died.
- Whānau pani: the bereaved family, also called the kiri mate or kura tūohu. Te Ara says their role is to mourn. The fasting period, in which they did not eat, has been relaxed in many places, and whānau pani may wait until the marae has closed to visitors for the day.
- Pare kawakawa: the wreath of kawakawa worn around the head, which has become a symbol of the tangi. Kawakawa is a medicinal plant used in a number of rituals.
- Karakia: prayers or chants. Te Ara records karakia in several places, including the chanting at takahi whare, and in traditional times the tuku wairua, a ritual to ease the spirit's passage, chanted by a tohunga.
- Nehu or hahu: the burial. The urupā is the burial ground. See our urupā guide.
- Tono mate: a request that the body lie in state at a particular marae. Te Ara says arguments over where the body is to be mourned and buried are seen as recognising the mana of the deceased, but the practice can be complicated when cross-cultural relationships are involved.
- Kawe mate: the ceremony that carries the memory of the person to those unable to attend.
What visitors do
If you are going to a marae you have not visited before, Te Ara's account of the pōwhiri (welcome) describes what manuhiri (visitors) typically do. It describes the process in general, not only for a tangi, and the marae's own kawa has priority (Te Ara: Te kawa o te marae, Pōwhiri process).
- Gather. Visitors who have never been to a marae are known as waewae tapu. A kaumātua in the group will often say a protective karakia, a waerea. The group usually chooses its caller (kaikaranga) and its speakers (kaikōrero), decides the order of speakers and collects koha.
- Karanga. The host people's caller begins and a caller from the visitors replies, as the visitors move onto the marae. A formal challenge, the wero, is used only when a particularly important visitor is being welcomed.
- Whaikōrero and waiata. Hosts and visitors give speeches, and at the end of each speech the speaker and supporters sing a waiata.
- Koha. The koha is a gift from the visitors to the hosts. It is usually placed on the ground by the final visitor speaking, and the hosts pick it up. Most visitors put money in an envelope.
- Hongi and harirū. At the end of the formal part, visitors are invited to press noses and shake hands. Te Ara says many marae now insist on hongi and harirū only.
- Hākari. The pōwhiri closes with a meal, which lifts the tapu of the pōwhiri.
- Poroporoaki. At the end of a visit, formal farewells are usual. It is good etiquette for the visitors to start them.
Te Ara also notes that people at a tangi are not expected to speak only good of the dead. Our koha guide covers the gift. We found no source for what to wear or what to bring beyond koha, so ask a member of the whānau or a kaumātua.
Decisions, the law and the coroner
The person with the legal power to decide on the funeral is the executor named in the will, or otherwise the closest relative. They must consider the views of the immediate and wider whānau, but they do not have to seek them out, so whānau who want to be heard should make their views known. Where the executor or closest relative decides on the burial place, whānau can challenge the decision in the High Court. At a tangihanga, whānau can also make decisions about Māori land, which then need to be confirmed by the Māori Land Court (Community Law: Tangihanga).
If the coroner is involved, Community Law says the coroner must consider whether a post-mortem "would cause distress or offence to the family because of their cultural beliefs and practices", and the family can in some cases object. If the coroner proceeds anyway, whānau can take their objection to the High Court. The coroner can allow whānau and a spiritual adviser to stay with the tūpāpaku, which "recognises the tikanga requirements that whānau should stay with the tūpāpaku at all times until burial."
Gathering kaimoana for a tangihanga needs written permission from the kaitiaki, or where none are appointed, from tangata whenua such as the marae committee or the local rūnanga. Gathering without it risks an infringement notice of up to $500.
Funeral directors, burial and cremation
The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ) reports that for Māori whānau a viewing is almost always required, and directors face pressure to embalm quickly so that the body can go home or to the marae. Tangihanga are largely organised by the local marae. In 2025, 44% of Māori were cremated, up from 39% in 2023, and FDANZ suggests urban living, weaker marae ties and the costs of burial and tangihanga as reasons (FDANZ 2026 Industry Trends Report). Te Ara's 2011 account, describing burial practice, says "Cremation was – and is – rare", so what happens today differs between whānau. See our page on embalming for what it involves and costs.
Help with costs, in brief
Work and Income lists "kai for a tangihanga" among the reasonable funeral expenses for the Funeral Grant, which has a maximum of $2,697.43 as at 1 April 2026 and is tested on income and assets (Work and Income: Funeral Grant). ACC's funeral grant is up to $8,236.40 if the death is from a covered injury. Community Law says Māori may be able to get a tangihanga grant from their iwi organisation, funding from Māori land trusts, and advice from Te Puni Kōkiri or a local marae or Māori church (Community Law: Funeral and tangihanga costs). The Holidays Act requires an employer to weigh an employee's "cultural responsibilities" when deciding on bereavement leave outside the three-day list (Holidays Act 2003, s69). Our tangihanga costs and funeral grant pages have the detail, and our bereavement leave guide covers leave. For the marker on the grave, see headstone costs and the hura kōhatu guide. Any buttons below this guide are a separate offer from Momentum Life, a QuoteHub partner, and nothing in this guide depends on them.
How we made this page
The QuoteHub Editorial Team wrote this page on 20 October 2026 from the sources below, with AI assistance. Te Ara's tangihanga account was written by Rawinia Higgins (2011) and its pōwhiri account by Basil Keane (2013). Where our sources are silent, such as marae-specific rules or costs, we say so rather than guess. We have not had this page reviewed by an iwi or hapū representative, and welcome corrections through our contact page. Back to the when someone dies guide.
Adviser's view
A tangihanga is led by the whānau pani and the marae, and customs differ between iwi and hapū, so this guide describes the pattern that Te Ara records and not a rule for every marae. If you are attending, the single most useful step is to ask the family or a kaumātua what they would like, and to bring koha. If you are arranging one, the legal decisions rest with the executor or closest relative, who must consider the whānau's views.
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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Tangihanga Guide NZ: Māori Funeral Customs & Process. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/tangihanga-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.
References
- Te Ara: Tangihanga, death customs, Understanding tangihanga
- Te Ara: Tangihanga, death customs, The tangihanga process
- Te Ara: Tangihanga, death customs, Tangihanga in modern times
- Te Ara: Te kawa o te marae, Pōwhiri process
- Community Law: Tangihanga
- Community Law: Funeral and tangihanga costs
- FDANZ: 2026 New Zealand Funeral Industry Trends Report (PDF)
- Work and Income: Funeral Grant
- ACC: Financial support after death
- Holidays Act 2003
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