Firefighters from New Zealand performed a traditional haka on Wednesday in honor of 9/11 first responders. The firefighters from the other side of the world came all the way to New York sent the video of their display to their counterparts in America, to the delight of New Yorker and Americans.
The haka is a type of ceremonial war dance from Mฤori culture, meant as a challenge from one to another. In this case, however, it served as a sign of respect from New Zealand firefighters to those in New York City.
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In honor of the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, New Zealand firefighters climbed the stairs of the Sky Tower in Auckland. They then recorded a video of their haka, published by ABC News, in remembrance of the first responders that died that day.
New Zealand firefighters performed a haka, a type of ancient war dance, to pay tribute to the first responders who died in the line of duty on September 11. They then climbed the stairs of the Sky Tower in memory of their American counterparts. https://t.co/xfbXRvI2xi pic.twitter.com/3E3vV1Hsgi
โ ABC News (@ABC) September 11, 2019
The video touched the hearts of people back in the U.S., where many people left comments thanking the foreign firefighters.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts New Zealand,” one person wrote with a heart emoji.
“I’m not crying, you’re crying,” added another.
“As an American of kanaka maoli descent, thank you #NewZealand for sharing your #aloha with us through this very powerful and beautiful #haka,” a third tweeted.
The whole world took the time to memorialize the anniversary of 9/11 on Wednesday. Even after nearly two decades, few can forget the tragedy that took almost 3,000 lives that day. Many were first responders, including firemen, medics and police officers.
The memorials lasted for most of the day at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, on the former site of the Twin Towers. Starting at 8:40 a.m. ET, the ceremony began with the reading of the names of those killed in the attack. The live event was open only to the families of victims, but it was live-streamed online for the public.
The ceremony reportedly included six moments of silence — two for the moments when the planes hit each tower, two for the times when each tower collapses, one for the moment when the third plane hit the Pentagon and one for the moment when the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The memorial will continue on until midnight on Wednesday at the 9/11 memorial plaza, where twin beams of light stand where the towers once did. This “Tribute in Light” reportedly reaches four miles into the sky, signifying the spirit of the perseverance of New York City, the U.S. and 9/11 survivors.
