Mānawatia a Matariki
The Pleiades star cluster, also commonly called the seven sisters, rises in midwinter. This star cluster is called Matariki in Māori and when this is visible it indicates the Māori New Year for many Māori across the country. Celebrations were stopped by the 1940’s but have been revived throughout the 2000s.
Today on Friday 24th of June, is the first time that Aotearoa is celebrating Matariki with a Public Holiday. The Government passed the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act in 2022 to create a new public holiday to celebrate Matariki. The public holiday is observed in late June or early July on a Friday. As the Māori calendar is based on the moon cycles, Matariki will be observed on different days in the Gregorian calendar every year. Matariki is about remembrance, celebrating the present by giving thanks and looking to the future.
Iwi across the country celebrate Matariki differently. This includes celebrating at different times such as after the full moon rising when the cluster is seen or when the cluster is first seen in the sky at dawn. For some the star cluster has nine stars and for others seven stars. Some iwi in Aotearoa (notably Whanganui, Taranaki and others) place importance on the Puanga star within the cluster. This is due to being unable to clearly see the star cluster due to their geographical location.
What can you do today?
Setting goals for the year ahead, cooking up some kai with your family, giving thanks for what you have and remembering your loved ones you have lost. Practising your te reo Māori, attending Matariki festivals in your local area, stargazing to try and find the Matariki cluster and researching more about Matariki with your whānau. We’ve put our sources at the end if you want to learn more.
Sources
https://teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year
https://www.employment.govt.nz/about/news-and-updates/matariki-public-holiday/
Charlotte Sun, Women in Health Network | Otago Director of Equity 2022