What is Matariki?
Matariki is an abbreviation of ‘Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea (‘The eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea’) and refers to a large cluster of stars, known in European tradition as the Pleiades. According to Māori tradition, the god of the wind, Tāwhirimātea, was so angry when his siblings separated their parents, Ranginui the sky father and Papatūānuku 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 Māori 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 Māori New Year, and in whānau 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 Māori (the Māori 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 Māori lunar calendar. It will be observed on a Friday, usually in late June or early July. The Advisory Group’s members were drawn from across the country to ensure that the mātauranga (knowledge) of various iwi was represented.
Source: https://teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year
In assembly today students watched a short version of a lecture about Matariki by one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s foremost astronomers and a member of the advisory panel, Professor Rangi Matamua.