What makes Matariki special? How this Māori star festival connects ancient cultures from Japan to Greece
New Zealand marked this year's
Matariki
, the
Māori New Year
, with dawn ceremonies, cultural events, and family gatherings. Celebrated as a national public holiday on 20 June, it reflects reflection, remembrance, and hopeful renewal.
Matariki refers to the cluster of stars known internationally as the
Pleiades
or 'Seven Sisters.' In Māori tradition, it marks the start of the lunar month of Pipiri, signalling the Māori New Year.
Communities would mourn those who passed since last year, reciting names and singing laments. They also made food offerings, like kūmara, seafood, and fish, to honour the stars and ancestors before feasting together.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
NRIs Living In Singapore Are Eligible For INR 2 Lakh Monthly Pension. Invest 18K/Month
investmentlife.policybazaar
Get Offer
Undo
Rising at dawn in late June or early July, its appearance heralds a renewal cycle.
Why is Matariki being celebrated?
Live Events
Traditionally, Māori would gather to observe the stars and forecast the year. Each star, such as Matariki, Pōhutukawa, and Tupuānuku, was tied to aspects of life and the environment. Bright stars promised good seasons ahead.
Today's celebrations echo these traditions with dawn services, food offerings, haka, public feasts (hāngī), and cultural performances. Communities nationwide also host art exhibitions, stargazing events, marine and bird-harvest blessings, and eco-activities during the Matariki period.
Matariki focuses on three core values:
Remembering the past
– Honouring loved ones who have passed.
Celebrating the present
– Giving thanks with whānau and community.
Looking to the future
– Setting intentions and planting seeds, literally and spiritually, for the year ahead.
Global Connections
Matariki follows lunar and stellar cycles, making it a 'movable feast' similar to celebrations like Lunar New Year, Eid, or Easter, which also change dates yearly.
Matariki is the star cluster most commonly known around the world as the Pleiades. This cluster is part of a larger constellation called Taurus. It is one of the earliest recorded groups of stars in human history, with documentation dating back approximately 17,000 years.
Various cultures around the world have different names for this group of stars. In Japan, they are called
Subaru
, which means "to come together." In China, they are referred to as Mao, meaning the hairy head of the white tiger. In India, the cluster is known as Krittika.
In Greek mythology, they are referred to as the Seven Sisters, while in Norse mythology, the Vikings called them Freyja's hens.
These shared myths are continuations of cultures in which societies have used the same stars to mark time, guide planting, and honour ancestors.
A Festival for All
Matariki is now embraced by many New Zealanders, Māori and non-Māori alike. It's a national moment of unity and cultural learning. Families create new traditions—sharing kai, planting, stargazing, storytelling, and crafting.
During this festival people reconnect with whakapapa and kaitiakitanga, respect for ancestors and guardianship of the land. It encourages reflection, gratitude, planning, and care for each other and the environment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Hunar Haath' to train youth in domestic services
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh govt has launched the 'Hunar Haath' pilot project to provide skill-based training to youth in domestic services such as cooking, cleaning, care giving and household maintenance. Being implemented in five districts— Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Muzzafarnagar and Prayagraj— the initiative is led by the department of vocational education, skill development and entrepreneurship. Under the scheme, training will be offered to youth in cooking, cleaning, care giving and household maintenance in both residential and non-residential formats, implemented in partnership with govt and private training institutes. Once trained, the youth will be connected to a digital portal, making it easy for citizens to access their services and creating a strong link between skill development and everyday household needs. Additional mission director Priya Singh said: "Through 'Hunar Haath', a special platform will be created where trained young people can offer household services. This will make it easy for people to find skilled and trusted service providers." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Descubre ofertas de cruceros con todo incluido de última hora insight-chronicle Undo Mission director Pulkit Khare said: "It will not only give young people job-oriented training but also create a trusted service network for everyday household needs." He added that the details of trained candidates will be uploaded to a central 'Hunar Haath' portal, making it easy for people to hire these trained youth. Principal secretary Hariom instructed officials to create a digital database of trained candidates where their services will be clearly classified for easy access. He emphasized the importance of focusing on training quality, safety and service standards so that this initiative can be developed as a successful model for the state. tnn
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Dept speeds up appointment of guest teachers in Chamarajanagar
Mysuru: To address the shortage of teaching staff in govt primary and high schools, the department of school education and literacy expedited the appointment of 765 guest teachers across Chamarajanagar. The move aims to ensure the smooth functioning of the schools during the academic year. The process will help the department conduct classes hassle-free without any disturbance to students related to teaching aspects. The district bagged the 27th rank in the SSLC results. This year, the department had made all plans to improve the SSLC results and focus on public exams for 8th class students by giving special attention to guest teacher recruitment. As many as 178 guest teacher posts were vacant in high schools in 2025-26, including 664 in primary schools. The state govt permitted guest teachers for high schools on priority as teachers must prepare their students for public exams. Against the 664 pending in primary schools, state govt permitted only the filling of 583 guest teachers from primary schools. The state govt increased the monthly remuneration to Rs 12,000 for guest teachers of primary schools from Rs 10,000. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo It increased to Rs 12,500 for guest teachers at high schools from Rs 10,500 this year. Speaking to TOI, deputy director of public Instruction Ramachandra Raje Urs said that he gave directions to all block education officers to speed up the recruitment of guest teachers. The department also continued the services of most of the guest teachers from the previous year after considering their performance subject-wise. The process is completed in most schools. A clear direction was given to reject candidates bringing recommendation letters, he said. "As govt started the process of appointment of guest teachers to primary and high schools early, it will help students prepare for exams," said Revanna, a retired teacher of Chilakwadi village.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘How do I talk to him, he is in the box': Mother mourns AI crash victim as body arrives in city after time-consuming DNA confirmation process
Pune: As a sombre crowd gathered at Sant Tukaramnagar in Pimpri on Saturday to bid a final farewell to 22-year-old Irfan Shaikh , a crew member of the ill-fated Air India plane that crashed moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad on June 12, his mother, Taslim, sat frozen in grief, clinging to the coffin containing her son's lifeless body, her eyes fixed and hands trembling as if unwilling to let go of her child. With relatives and her husband Samir trying to console her, Taslim gazed at the coffin and and murmured, "How do I talk to him? He's in the box." The family performed the last rites at the Hazrat Bilal Eidgah cemetery in Nehrunagar, Pimpri Chinchwad, around 10am. Irfan's mortal remains were handed over to the family late Friday evening after DNA confirmation. The family brought the body to Pune airport around 7am on Saturday. A large crowd comprising relatives, friends and politicians from various parties gathered to pay their respects. The 22-year-old, who was very attached to his mother, made it a point to call his mother before every takeoff and after every landing. Having spoken to her before the ill-fated flight took off, the family knew he was on board when the crash occurred. Upon hearing the about the crash, the family rushed to Ahmedabad that evening, but the DNA matching process delayed the handover of his body, relative Taher said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo Azhar Khan, another relative, said Taslim was still in a state of deep shock and unable to come to terms with the irreparable loss. "She has not shed a single tear, she is still in trauma," he said, adding that she continued to dial Irfan's phone number, clinging to the hope that he might somehow respond. "Taslim's silence is concerning us. We want her to express her emotions, to cry or talk, as this numbness is worsening her state," Azhar said. Irfan, a dedicated aviation professional, joined Air Vistara as cabin crew nearly two years ago after completing training in Pune. He initially flew domestic routes and later transitioned to international flights after Vistara merged with Air India. Tragically, his third day back on duty after a short break to celebrate Bakri Eid with his family in Pune turned out to be his last, as Air India Flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. He lived in a rented flat in Mumbai while his family resided in Pune. Among those who gathered to bid him farewell were also his childhood friends from DY Patil School, where Irfan studied up to Std X. "He was one of the few from our group who began working early and made us proud," a friend said, adding, "Even with his hectic schedule, he made time to meet us whenever he was in here." Irfan's father runs a shop in Sant Tukaramnagar, while his elder brother, Amir, is an IT professional and his mother is a homemaker.
