Matariki - Māori New Year

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars (Pleiades) which rises in mid-winter and signals the Māori New Year and a time of remembrance, joy and peace. Matariki is the brightest star and the mother of the eight stars that surround her. These stars each represent a special meaning for Māori - Matariki is connected to health and wellbeing and signifies reflection, hope, our connection to the environment and the gathering of whanau. Waitī is associated with fresh water bodies and the food sources that are sustained by those waters, Waitā, the ocean and food sources within it, Waipuna-ā-rangi, the rain. Tupuānuku is connected with everything that grows within the soil, Tupuārangi is everything that grows up in the trees and the birds. Ururangi is the star associated with the winds, Pōhutukawa is connected with those that have passed on and Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the star connected to our wishes and our aspirations for the year ahead. This year in Aotearoa we look forward to Matariki becoming a public holiday and an opportunity for whanau and friends to come together, share kai and celebrate.