Matariki

Matariki was celebrated as a public holiday for the first time in 2022, with Friday 24 June marked as a national holiday. This public holiday acknowledges the traditional Māori celebration of Matariki — a time of reflection, renewal, and connection.

The reappearance of Matariki in the eastern sky before dawn, around the time of the winter solstice, signalled the beginning of Te Tau Hou Māori, the Māori New Year.

What, When and Where Is Matariki?

Matariki is what astronomers call a star cluster — a group of stars bound together by gravity. This differs from a constellation, which is a pattern of stars that appears connected from Earth.

Matariki is one of the closest star clusters to Earth, located around 444 light-years away. The stars are visible to the naked eye for much of the year, setting briefly at the start of winter.

When Matariki rises again before dawn above the eastern horizon, its return is celebrated.

Te Tau Hou Māori – The Māori New Year

Te Tau Hou Māori traditionally involved three key practices.

• Remembering those who have passed, particularly those lost since the previous rising of Matariki.
• Celebrating identity and togetherness through kai (food), waiata (song), and kōrero (storytelling), often following the harvest.
• Looking ahead — setting intentions, making plans, and preparing for the year to come.

The heliacal rising of Matariki (its first appearance near the sun) was also a key part of the Māori maramataka, the lunar and seasonal calendar that guided planting, fishing, and harvesting.

Māori Stories of Matariki

Māori traditions tell rich stories about Matariki. Matariki is the central star, often described as the whaea (mother) of the surrounding stars.

Her children include Ururangi, Tupu-a-rangi, Waipunarangi, Tupu-a-nuku, Waitī, Waitā, Hiwa-i-te-rangi, and Pōhutukawa.

These stars travel across the sky to be with their grandmother, Papatūānuku.

• Pōhutukawa represents those who have died
• Waitī connects to freshwater and freshwater life
• Waitā represents the ocean and seafood
• Waipunarangi relates to rain and weather patterns
• Ururangi influences the winds of the year
• Hiwa-i-te-rangi represents aspirations and hopes
• Tupu-a-nuku governs food grown in the soil
• Tupu-a-rangi governs food from trees and the forest

Pōhutukawa is also associated with Cape Reinga, where a lone pōhutukawa tree marks the point through which spirits are said to depart Aotearoa on their journey back to Hawaiki.

Another well-known story describes Matariki as the eyes of Tāwhirimātea, the atua of winds and storms. Upset by the separation of his parents, Ranginui and Papatūānuku, Tāwhirimātea tore out his eyes and cast them into the sky.

This story explains the name Matariki: mata meaning eyes, and riki meaning small — the twinkling eyes of Tāwhirimātea. Another interpretation links the name to the word ariki, meaning a chiefly or divine presence.

Regional and Global Perspectives

Different iwi and rohe have variations in their Matariki stories. Some recognise seven stars, while others see eight or nine. In Taranaki, where hills block the view of Matariki, the Māori New Year is marked instead by the rising of Puanga (known in Western astronomy as Rigel).

Cultures around the world also recognise this star cluster. The Greeks called it the Pleiades, daughters of the sea nymph Pleione, associated with rain and the sailing season. In Japan, the cluster is called Subaru, meaning “united” — reflected in the company’s six-star logo.