Matariki is the Mori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in midwinter and for many Mori, it heralds the start of a new year. Iwi across New Zealand understand and celebrate Matariki in different ways and at different times.
Matariki is an abbreviation of Ng Mata o te Ariki Twhirimtea (The eyes of the god Twhirimtea) and refers to a large cluster of stars, known in European tradition as the Pleiades. According to Mori tradition, the god of the wind, Twhirimtea, was so angry when his siblings separated their parents, Ranginui the sky father and Papat贖nuku the earth mother, that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.
The cycle of life and death
Traditionally, Matariki was a time to acknowledge the dead and to release their spirits to become stars. It was also a time to reflect, to be thankful to the gods for the harvest, to feast and to share the bounty of the harvest with family and friends.
Matariki revived
Matariki, or Mori New Year celebrations were once popular, but had largely stopped by the 1940s. In the 2000s, they were revived. Now, thousands of people take part in events to honour the beginning of the Mori New Year, and in whnau celebrations to remember those who have died and to plan for the year ahead.
Public holiday
In 2020, the government announced its intention to establish a public holiday during Matariki that recognised and celebrated te ao Mori (the Mori world), to be held for the first time in 2022. A Matariki Advisory Group was set up to advise ministers on when and how the new public holiday should be celebrated. The date of the Matariki public holiday will shift each year to align with the Mori lunar calendar. It will be observed on a Friday, usually in late June or early July. The Advisory Groups members were drawn from across the country to ensure that the mtauranga (knowledge) of various iwi was represented.
釦棗喝娶釵梗:泭
In assembly today, students watched a short version of a lecture about Matariki by one of Aotearoa New Zealands foremost astronomers and a member of the advisory panel, .