Ka puta Matariki, ka rere Whānui, ko te tohu o te tau

Matariki appears as Whānui flees, this is the sign of the New Year.

Whānui is the star Vega in the constellation of Lyra. Whānui sets in the northern sky in the early morning of winter just before the rising of Matariki in the eastern sky. This event is a sign of the New Year and is recorded in this proverb.

- quote from Professor Rangi Matamua

What is Matariki?

Matariki is a grouping of stars that are also known as the Pleides or Seven Sisters. For Māori, Matariki was used to predict the weather and plan activities, it represented a connection to the environment. The stars helped guide our ancestors, who were master navigators, on great sea voyages in waka (canoes). During winter, Māori again looked to Matariki to see how the weather for the season ahead would be.

Matariki is the Māori New Year

Matariki was a time to give thanks for the previous season and a time to look forward to the new harvest, the new season and the warmer weather to come.

Matariki is a time to celebrate and feast

In the middle of winter, the days are shorter, the weather colder, and food often more scarce. It was a time to hibernate somewhat to enjoy the preserved foods of the season gone.

Matariki is a unique New Zealand celebration

Jacinda Ardern has revealed the date of New Zealand’s new public holiday. The first Matariki public holiday will be held on Friday 24 June 2022 after consideration by an expert panel. The public holiday will shift each year, similar to Easter, but will most likely always fall between June and July. Announcing the date on Thursday, Ardern said it was the first new public holiday introduced in NZ since the creation of Waitangi day 50 years ago.

In Ōtepoti (Dunedin) this is celebrated with a programme of events surrounding and celebrating Matariki called the Dunedin Puaka Matariki Festival.