What does Matariki mean? How do you find the iconic cluster of stars? And how can people celebrate this time of year?
New Zealand’s newest public holiday gets its third outing tomorrow with the country preparing to officially celebrate Matariki – the Māori New Year.
It is not a new celebration by any means, but it’s still a relatively new experience for many New Zealanders who are just beginning to understand and embrace its significance.
1News reporters are across the country ahead of the long weekend. (Source: 1News)
Matariki is a time for people to gather, honour those who have passed, celebrate the present and look ahead to the future.
Māori scholar Professor Rangi Mātāmua told 1News ahead of the first Matariki public holiday in 2022 that the occasion was directly linked to the country’s place in the world.
"Matariki is about bringing people together for unity, for identity. There isn't a single person living in Aotearoa who does not descend from ancestors who used the stars to navigate, to tell time, to plant, to harvest,” he said.
Chef and Māori food storyteller Josh Hunter from Kaitaki preparing four courses for a Matariki feast. (Source: Breakfast)
The midwinter celebration, which is not restricted to a single day, is marked by the rising of the Matariki star cluster (also known as the Pleiades in other parts of the world).
How to find the Matariki stars
The easiest way to see Matariki is to use other identifiable star groups as markers. (Source: 1News)
If the weather conditions are right, Matariki can be seen around this time of year before the sun rises.
The easiest way to find Matariki is to use other identifiable star groups as markers.
Before sunrise, look to the Southern Cross (Te Punga). From there, look east where you will see the constellation Tautoru, otherwise known as Orion's Belt or The Pot.
Then trace a line north from the three stars of Tautoru to a triangular-shaped cluster of stars, which is Hyades, or Te Kokotā.
Look towards the left again, and just off the shoulder of Te Kokotā is Matariki.
Above Tautoru is another star called Puanga. This star is also significant to some iwi as a sign of the Māori New Year.
What the Matariki stars mean
There are nine stars within the Matariki cluster (although some areas recognise seven stars).
The central, biggest star is Matariki — the mother of the eight other stars in that cluster.
Those other stars are:
- Pōhutukawa – many Māori believe this is the star which guides the dead across the night sky. When the cluster returns to the horizon just before the sun rises, the dead of the year make their final journey into the sky.
- Tupuānuku – connected to kai/produce from the ground.
- Tupuārangi – the star that's connected to the forest, to bird life, and the harvesting of food grown in trees or above the ground, such as fruit.
- Waitī – connected to fresh water and all the creatures that live in the rivers, the streams and the lakes.
- Waitā – linked to the moana, and the many kinds of food that can be gathered from the sea.
- Waipunarangi – which means water from the sky. It will determine whether there will be a drought or an abundance of rain for that season.
- Ururangi – linked to the winds.
- Hiwa-i-te-rangi – the youngest star in the cluster and the one where people can send their wishes, hopes and dreams for the year.
The changing Matariki dates
Matariki falls on a different date each year. This year's public holiday is on Friday, June 28. Last year’s public holiday fell on July 14.
This is because Matariki follows the traditional Māori lunar calendar as opposed to the Gregorian solar calendar year.
There is a difference of 11 days between the lunar and solar years, so a system of intercalation – adding an additional month to the lunar year every three or so years – is used to reconcile that difference.
While the date Matariki is observed on changes each year, it always falls somewhere between June and July.
A Matariki Advisory Committee has already set the dates for the Matariki public holiday for the next couple of decades.
How to celebrate Matariki
The theme for Matariki this year is "heri kai". It comes from the Māori proverb "Matariki whetū heri kai", which means "Matariki, the bringer of food".
People are encouraged to gather with whānau and friends for Matariki to celebrate and share kai (food).
Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke spoke to Re: News last year (before her election candidacy was announced) about five ways people could embrace Matariki. These included remembering loved ones who have passed away, giving back to the community, and preparing for the future by planning crops in the māra (garden).
If the weather plays ball, people can also head outside before dawn to try and find the Matariki cluster.
NIWA said earlier this week that people in the upper North Island are likely to get the best views. While it was looking cloudy for much of the country, it said most places would have a morning or two with just partial cloud.
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