It’s time to begin the celebrations for Māori New Year 🌟
In Aotearoa, this is known as Matariki. This year, Matariki public holiday will be on 20 June. So, what is Matariki? It is a cluster of stars also known as Pleiades. It rises in the winter sky, different iwi use different stars to mark the new year, some follow Matariki others may follow Puanga (Rigel).
The theme for this year is Matariki mā Puanga – it’s about inclusion, embracing different traditions, stars and tikanga around celebrating Matariki.
There are 3 key themes to celebrating Matariki:
✨ Matariki Hunga nui – Remembrance; a time to remember people who have since passed since the last rising of Matariki.
✨ Matariki Ahunga Nui – Celebrating the present; spending time with whānau and friends
✨ Matariki Manako Nui – Looking to the future; Making wishes and planning for the future – you might even want to send these wishes to Hiwa-i-te-rangi. 🤭 Please use this opportunity to gather, spend time together, and reconnect.
Mānawatia a Matariki, Mānawatia a Puanga!