New Zealand will celebrate its newest public holiday - Matariki - on June 24 next year, before it shifts slightly in the years to come.
There will be an expectation it will always fall on a Friday or Monday.
"This will be a day to acknowledge our nation’s unique, shared identity, and the importance of tikanga Māori," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said from Waitangi today.
The prime minister announced the date for the Matariki holiday at Waitangi, as politicians spoke about the Treaty, and the work ahead of us to achieve its purpose. (Source: Other)
"It’s going to be something very special, and something uniquely New Zealand."
Matariki, the cluster of stars that signals Māori New Year, changes dates each year but generally rises in June or July and spans a three-week period.
The reappearance of the celestial phenomenon signals the beginning of the Maori new year. (Source: Other)
Ardern described it as "a time for reflection and celebration, and our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Māori".
Māori-Crown Relations Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis said as the date of Matariki changes each year, an advisory group was created to provide advice on future dates, how it should be celebrated and education around Matariki.
The Green Party first pushed for the inclusion of Matariki as a public holiday, a stance followed by Labour prior to last year’s election.
Ardern said at the time the public holiday would be introduced in 2022 so businesses could have time to prepare.
Leader Jacinda Ardern and deputy Kelvin Davis made the election promise from Rotorua today. (Source: Other)
"We don’t have many statutory holidays compared to other OECD countries and it would be good to break up the long run through winter," she said.
However, the proposal came with criticism from other parties, with National fearing it could be the tipping point for struggling businesses amid the Covid economic fallout.
"If you're going to have another paid holiday, it's excellent if you're receiving it, but actually if you're a struggling business it can be what actually sets you over the edge,” leader Judith Collins said in September.
If New Zealand were to adopt Matariki as a public holiday, the public would expect it to replace a current public holiday, Collins said. (Source: Other)
ACT's David Seymour also said that "if Labour wants Matariki to be public holiday, it should abolish Labour Day so businesses aren’t taking on more costs".
A 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll in September last year found 69 per cent were in support of making Matariki a public holiday from 2022, 23 per cent were opposed and eight per cent either did not know or refused to answer.
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