Kia ora koutou

Matariki is a very special time for all of us and tomorrow we are fortunate to be able to celebrate Matariki public holiday in Aotearoa New Zealand. Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in midwinter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year. Iwi across New Zealand understand and celebrate Matariki in different ways. 

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.

Nowadays, people all across Aotearoa come together to remember their ancestors, share food, sing songs, tell stories and play music. Matariki is about reconnecting with your home and whānau.

Dr Rangi Mātāmua, New Zealand indigenous studies and Māori cultural astronomy academic and Professor of Mātauranga Māori at Massey University, gives this advice: “Matariki is about celebrating who we were, who we are, and who we want to be. Spend time with the people that are closest to you. Sit down and have a meal together and get to know each other. Do what works for you. Go with what your puku tells you to do. Say what’s in your heart. There’s no wrong way of doing it. The main thing is you do it with the right intentions.”

Matariki hunga nui.

Matariki of many people.

During Matariki festivities people gather together to celebrate the passing of one year and the hope of a new one. This whakataukī speaks to us about the gathering of people at Matariki time.

Enjoy time with your whānau tomorrow. 

Ngā mihi nui