by Tauhara Primary
Matariki – signals the start of the Māori New Year
Tauhara Primary — July 2, 2021
Matariki is the Māori name for a cluster of stars which is visible in our night sky at a specific time of the year. In June/July, Matariki will re-appear in the dawn sky – signalling the start of the Māori New Year. It is a time to celebrate new life, to remember those who’ve passed and to plan for the future. And it’s a time to spend with whānau and friends – to enjoy kai (food), waiata (song), tākaro (games) and haka. Our tūpuna (ancestors) would look to Matariki for help with their harvesting. When Matariki disappeared in April/May, it was time to preserve crops for the winter season. When it re-appeared in June/July, tūpuna would read the stars to predict the upcoming season – clear and bright stars promised a warm and abundant winter while hazy stars warned of a bleak winter. Because Māori follow the Māori lunar calendar, not the European calendar, the dates for Matariki change every year.
How many stars does Matariki have?
Matariki has nine visible stars, according to leading Māori astronomer, Dr Rangi Matamua, who’s been researching Matariki for over 30 years. As part of his research, Dr Matamua found that some of his own tūpuna were able to see nine stars.
The nine visible stars include: Matariki, Tupuārangi, Waipuna-ā-Rangi, Waitī, Tupuānuku, Ururangi, Waitā, Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi.
Each star holds a certain significance over our wellbeing and environment, as seen from the Māori view of the world.
When to observe Matariki
The optimum time to observe the rising of Matariki is in the phase of the moon known as Tangaroa, the moon of plenty. The Tangaroa moon phase occurs in the three or four days leading to a new moon and will fall on different dates each year.
