View source for Matariki

{{Short description|Māori new year festival}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox holiday
| type          = cultural
| ends          = 
| startedby     = 
| firsttime     = 2022

| frequency     = Annual
| duration      = 
| scheduling    = variable
| month         = 
| weekday       = Friday
| date          = June to July (varies)
| begins        = 
| holiday_name  = Matariki
| celebrations  = Some hold dawn ceremonies and/or lay a [[hāngī]]
| significance  = Heliacal rising of the Pleiades star cluster ({{langx|mi|Matariki}}), signalling the Māori new year.
| litcolor      = 
| observedby    = [[Māori people]], New Zealand
| nickname      = 
| official_name = 
| alt           = 
| image         = M45 Pleiades Pbkwee (cropped to core 9 stars).jpg
| relatedto     = 
| date2022      = 24 June
| date2023      = 14 July
| date2024      = 28 June
| date2025      = 20 June
}}
In [[Māori culture]], '''Matariki''' is the [[Pleiades]] star cluster and a celebration of its [[Heliacal rising|first rising]] in late June or early July. The rising marks the beginning of the new year in the Māori [[lunar calendar]]. 

Historically, Matariki was usually celebrated for a period of days during the last quarter of the moon of the lunar month Pipiri (around June). The ceremony involved viewing the individual stars for forecasts of the year to come, mourning the deceased of the past year, and making an offering of food to replenish the stars. Some Māori use the rise of Puanga ([[Rigel]]) or other stars to mark the new year. 

Celebration of Matariki declined during the 20th century, but beginning in the early 1990s it underwent a revival. Matariki was first celebrated as an official [[public holiday in New Zealand]] on 24 June 2022.

== Name and meaning ==
Matariki is the [[Māori language|Māori]] name for the cluster of stars also known as the [[Pleiades]] in the constellation [[Taurus (constellation)|Taurus]]. {{Lang|Mi|Matariki}} is a shortened version of {{Lang|Mi|Ngā mata o te ariki o Tāwhirimātea}}, "the eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Meredith|first=Paul|date=12 June 2006|title=Matariki – Māori New Year – Modern Matariki|url=http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year/page-3|access-date=11 July 2021|website=[[Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] }}</ref> According to Māori tradition, [[Tāwhirimātea]], the god of wind and weather, was enraged by the separation of heaven and earth – his parents, [[Rangi and Papa|Ranginui and Papatūānuku]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Meredith|first=Paul|date=12 June 2006|title=Matariki – Māori New Year – Modern Matariki|url=http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year/page-3|access-date=11 July 2021|website=[[Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] }}</ref> Defeated in battle by his brother, Tāwhirimātea fled to the sky to live with Ranginui, but in his anger he first plucked out his eyes as a gesture of contempt towards his siblings, and flung them into the sky, where they remain, stuck to his father's chest. In Māori tradition the unpredictability of the winds is blamed on Tāwhirimātea's blindness.<ref name="Matamua">{{Cite Q|Q107459808}}</ref>{{rp|20}}

The word {{Lang|Mi|Matariki}} is the name of both the star cluster and one of the stars within it. Other terms for the cluster as a whole include {{Lang|Mi|Te Tautari-nui-o-Matariki}} ("Matariki fixed in the heavens") and {{Lang|Mi|Te Huihui o Matariki}} ("the assembly of Matariki").<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|21–22}}

Matariki is sometimes incorrectly translated as {{Lang|Mi|mata riki}} ("little eyes"), a mistake originating in the work of [[Elsdon Best]] and continued by others.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Arnold|first=Naomi|date=July–August 2018|title=The inheritance|url=https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-inheritance/|journal=New Zealand Geographic|issue=152|pages=26–27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Best|first=Elsdon|title=Tuhoe: Children of the Mist|publisher=Reed|year=1996|location=Auckland|pages=812}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Cowan |first=James |url=https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-CowYest-t1-body-d1-d7.html |title=The Maori: Yesterday and To-Day |publisher=Whitcombe and Tombs |year=1930 |location=Christchurch |pages=86 |quote=About the Pleiades, the well-schooled old Maori has much to say. To him this benign constellation, “rising through the mellow shade,” is Matariki, or the “little Eyes,” and he regards it with much the same veneration as did the ancient Greek navigators.}}</ref>

=== In other Polynesian cultures ===
The word ''matariki'' or similar, referring to the Pleiades, is found in many [[Polynesian languages|Polynesian]] languages.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Protoform: MATA-LIKI.B [EO] A star cluster, the Pleiades|url=https://pollex.eva.mpg.de/entry/mata-liki.b/|website=Polynesian Lexicon Project Online}}</ref> In the [[Marquesas Islands|Marquesas]] the star cluster is known as {{lang|mqm|Matai{{okina}}i}} or {{Lang|mqm|Mata{{okina}}iki}}, in the [[Cook Islands|Cooks]] as {{lang|rar|Matariki}}, and in the [[Tuamotus|Tuamotu]] archipelago as {{lang|pmt|Mata-ariki}}.<ref name="Matamua"/>{{rp|15}} In some languages it has Best's meaning of 'little eyes', but in most it is a contraction of {{lang|mis|mata-ariki|italic=yes}}, meaning 'eyes of the god' or 'eyes of the chief'.<ref name="Matamua"/>{{rp|19}} In [[Hawaiian Islands|Hawai{{okina}}i]], the rising of {{lang|haw|Makali{{okina}}i}} on 20 November ushers in the four-month season [[Makahiki]], which honours [[Lono]], the god of agriculture and fertility.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kawaharada |first=Dennis |title=Hawaiian Star Lines and Names for Stars |url=http://archive.hokulea.com/ike/hookele/hawaiian_star_lines.html#ke_ka_o_makalii |website=Hawaiian Voyaging Traditions }}</ref><ref name="Matamua"/>{{rp|13}} In Tahiti, the year was divided into two seasons, named according to whether the Pleiades are visible after sunset: {{lang|ty|Matari{{okina}}i i nia}} ('{{lang|ty|Matari{{okina}}i}} above') and {{lang|ty|Matari{{okina}}i i raro}} ('{{lang|ty|Matari{{okina}}i}} below').<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ellis |first=William |title=Polynesian Researches: Polynesia |publisher=Charles E.Tuttle Company |year=1969 |isbn=0804804753 |edition=New |location=Rutland & Tokyo |pages=87}}</ref> On [[Easter Island|Rapa Nui]], Matariki heralded the New Year, and its disappearance in mid-April ended the fishing season.<ref name="Matamua"/>{{rp|15}}

==The nine stars==
[[File:The Matariki Stars.png|500x500px|thumb|Māori and Greek names for the nine stars of Matariki]]
To the ancient Greeks, the [[Pleiades]] contained nine stars: the parents [[Atlas (star)|Atlas]] and [[Pleione (star)|Pleione]], positioned to one side of the cluster, and their seven daughters [[Alcyone (star)|Alcyone]], [[Maia (star)|Maia]], [[19 Tauri|Taygeta]], [[Electra (star)|Electra]], [[Merope (star)|Merope]], [[Celaeno (star)|Celaeno]] and [[Sterope (star)|Sterope]].

Many Māori sources, especially older ones, list seven stars in Matariki: Matariki herself, the central star in the cluster (the {{Lang|Mi|kai whakahaere}} or 'conductor'), and six children.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Dansey|first=Harry|date=December 1967|title=Matariki|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TAH196712.2.7|journal=Te Ao Hou|pages=15–16}}</ref> The emblem of the [[Māori King Movement|Kīngitanga]] or Māori King movement, Te Paki o Matariki, includes the star Matariki flanked by three stars on each side.<ref name=":3" /> The six other stars are sometimes named as Matariki's daughters. 

It has been suggested that the idea of Matariki as a group of seven female stars was influenced by the concept of the Pleiades' "seven sisters".<ref name="Matamua" /> However, some researches have suggested that the near universal tradition of recognising seven stars is based on astronomical observations made 100,000 years ago which have been maintained through oral histories in various cultures. <ref>{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Stith |title=The Folktale |date=1977 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0-520-03537-2 |pages=237-238}}</ref> <ref>{{cite book |last1=Norris |first1=Ray P. |last2=Norris |first2=Barnaby M. |editor1-last=Boutsikas |editor1-first=E. |editor2-last=McCluskey |editor2-first=S. C. |editor3-last=Steele |editor3-first=J. |title=Advancing Cultural Astronomy |date=2021 |publisher=Springer |pages=223-235 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64606-6_11 |chapter=Why Are There Seven Sisters?}}</ref>

The manuscript of Rāwiri Te Kōkau passed on to [[Rangi Mātāmua]] recognised nine stars in Matariki, adding Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi (also known just as Hiwa) to make a total of eight children, five of which were female and three male. The father of Matariki's children was Rehua, paramount chief of the heavens, identified by Māori as the star [[Antares]].<ref name="Matamua"/>{{rp|22–24}}

The stars of Matariki and their genders as recorded by Te Kōkau are identified with particular traits and areas of influence, also reflected in their positions in the star cluster:<ref name="Matamua"/>{{rp|24–35}}
[[File:Cape Reinga, Northland, New Zealand, October 2007 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The lone [[Metrosideros excelsa|pōhutukawa]] at [[Cape Reinga]] marks Te Rerenga Wairua, the departing place of the spirits of the dead]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+The nine stars of Matariki
!Māori
!Greek
!Gender
!Provenance
|-
|Matariki
|[[Alcyone (star)|Alcyone]]
|Female
|Well-being and health
|-
|Tupu-ā-rangi 
|[[Atlas (star)|Atlas]]
|Male
|Food that comes from above
|-
|Tupu-ā-nuku 
|[[Pleione (star)|Pleione]]
|Female
|Food that grows in the soil
|-
|Ururangi
|[[Merope (star)|Merope]]
|Male
|The winds
|-
|Waipunā-ā-rangi
|[[Electra (star)|Electra]]
|Female
|Rainwater
|-
|Hiwa-i-te-rangi
|[[Celaeno (star)|Celaeno]]
|Female
|Growth and prosperity
|-
|Waitī
|[[19 Tauri|Maia]]
|Female
|Fresh water
|-
|Waitā
|[[19 Tauri|Taygeta]]
|Male
|The ocean
|-
|Pōhutukawa
|[[Sterope (star)|Sterope]]
|Female
|The deceased
|}
The star Pōhutukawa's association with the departed relates to the lone [[Metrosideros excelsa|pōhutukawa]] tree at Te Rerenga Wairua ([[Cape Reinga]]), the departing place for the spirits of the deceased as they return to the ancestral homeland of Hawaiki. Mourning the deceased is one component of the Matariki celebration.<ref name="Matamua"/>{{rp|26}}

Hiwa-i-te-rangi, also known just as Hiwa, is the youngest of Matariki's children and was considered the "wishing star": Māori would rest their hopes and desires on Hiwa, similar to "wishing upon a star", and if it appeared to shine bright and clear on the first viewing of Matariki those individual and collective wishes were likely to be answered.<ref name="Matamua"/>{{rp|61}}

== Māori New Year ==
[[File:Te Paki o Matariki door Turanga-waewae Marae.jpg|thumb|Door displaying Matariki as part of the [[Māori King Movement|Kīngitanga]] coat of arms, Te Māhinārangi meeting house, Tūrangawaewae marae, [[Ngāruawāhia]]]]
[[File:TePakiOMatariki.jpg|thumb|Masthead of ''Te Paki o Matariki'', newspaper of the Kīngitanga movement, showing the stars of Matariki]]
[[File:Waikato Kingite flag Cowan 1930.jpg|thumb|Kīngitanga flag from Waahi, showing the seven stars of Matariki]]
Traditional Māori culture was interwoven with astronomical knowledge, with constellations and the [[Lunar phase|lunar cycle]] used for navigation, planting and harvesting, delineating the seasons, and marking the spawning and migration of fish.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Rātana|first=Liam|date=3 July 2021|title=Matariki, our guiding light|url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/03-07-2021/matariki-our-guiding-light/|access-date=9 July 2021|website=[[The Spinoff]]}}</ref> This knowledge was passed down by oral tradition, and different regions and [[iwi]] recorded different dates, significant constellations, and traditional calendars or {{Lang|Mi|maramataka}}.<ref name=":0" />

The [[Pleiades]] constellation (Matariki) is visible for most of the year in New Zealand, except for approximately a month in the middle of winter. Matariki finally sets in the west in the early evening in May, and reappears just prior to [[sun]]rise in late June or early July, which begins the first month of the Māori lunar calendar, Pipiri (meaning to huddle together).<ref>{{Cite dictionary|last=Moorfield|first=John C|date=26 June 2018|title=Pipiri|url=https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?keywords=pipiri/|access-date=6 April 2022|dictionary=Te Aka Māori Dictionary}}</ref> All the months of the Māori calendar are indicated by this [[heliacal rising]] of a particular star on the eastern horizon just before dawn, on the night of the new moon: for example, the tenth month, Poutūterangi, is signalled by the heliacal rising of [[Altair]].<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|38}} Matariki's role in signalling the start of the year means it is known as {{Lang|Mi|te whetū o te tau}} ("the star of the year").<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|42}}

The time in midsummer when Matariki is overhead in the night sky is referred to as {{Lang|Mi|te paki o Matariki}}, i.e. the calm weather of summer – a phrase meaning good weather and good fortune. In Māori historical recollection, the [[Tainui (canoe)|Tainui canoe]] was instructed to leave the homeland of [[Hawaiki]] for [[Aotearoa]] in summer, when Matariki was overhead: this being a direct, ancient historical reference to Māori use of star navigation, for long sea voyaging. Because of these associations with peace and calm, the second Māori king, [[Tāwhiao|Matutaera Tāwhiao]], chose Matariki as an emblem, and the [[Māori King Movement|Kīngitanga]] newspaper was named {{Lang|Mi|Te Paki o Matariki}}.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|42}}  

Most celebration of Matariki begins in the [[Lunar phase|last quarter phase]] of the moon after the constellation's first appearance, during 3–4 nights known as "the nights of [[Tangaroa]]" ({{Lang|Mi|ngā po o Tangaroa}}), and finishes on the night before the [[new moon]].<ref name=":0" /> The new moon, or {{Lang|Mi|whiro}}, is considered inauspicious in the Māori calendar, so would spoil any celebrations.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|49}} Because Māori traditionally use a 354-day [[lunar calendar]] with 29.5 days to the month, rather than the 365-day [[Gregorian calendar|Gregorian]] solar calendar, the dates of Matariki vary each year. Māori did not use a single unified lunar calendar, and different iwi might recognise different numbers of months, give them different names, or start the month on the full moon rather than the new moon.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|37–40}}

=== Puanga and Matariki ===
There has also always been regional variation across Aotearoa, in which stars signal the start of the New Year, and what date is chosen to celebrate it. Some [[iwi]] (tribes) – specifically those in the [[Northland Region|far north]] of Te Ika-a-Māui (the [[North Island]]), the mid-western parts of Te Ika-a-Māui around [[Taranaki]], the [[Chatham Islands]], and much of Te Waipounamu ([[South Island]]) – celebrate Puanga, using the rising of the brighter star [[Rigel]] (''Puanga'' in northern Māori, ''Puaka'' in southern Māori) as the marker of the New Year, instead of Matariki. This is sometimes attributed to Puanga being more visible or visible earlier than Matariki, but, as Rangi Mātāmua puts it, "the variation in the rising between Matariki and Puanga is very small, and if the Tangaroa nights of Piripi are observed correctly, then both stars will be seen in the morning sky."<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|75}} It has been suggested that that tradition of Puaka belonged to the first Polynesian settlers to arrive in Aotearoa, and Matariki was brought by a second wave of arrivals, who also brought the first kūmara (with which Matariki is associated).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Williams|first=Jim|date=2013|title=Puaka and Matariki: the Māori New Year|url=http://thepolynesiansociety.org/jps/index.php/JPS/article/view/48/48|journal=[[Journal of the Polynesian Society]]|volume=122|issue=1|pages=7–20|doi=10.15286/jps.122.1.7-20|doi-access=free|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In Māori tradition the stars Puanga and Matariki were rivals, with Puanga beautifying herself every winter, attempting to be the star beside which the sun rises and signals the New Year, but being eternally frustrated when each year the Sun rose beside Matariki.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|75}}

Other iwi use Atutahi ([[Canopus]]) rather than Puanga, or the setting of Rehua ([[Antares]]) in winter, to mark the New Year.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Matamua|first=Rangi|date=21 May 2021|title=Matariki Dates 2022–2052: Matariki Advisory Committee|url=https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/matariki-dates-2022-to-2052-matariki-advisory-group.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702000321/https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/matariki-dates-2022-to-2052-matariki-advisory-group.pdf |archive-date=2021-07-02 |url-status=live|access-date=2 August 2021|website=MBIE}}</ref>

== Traditional celebration ==
Matariki was an occasion to mourn the deceased, celebrate the present, and prepare the ground for the coming year.<ref name=":0" /> The ceremony had three parts: viewing the stars, remembering the deceased, and making an offering of food to the stars.<ref name=":0" /> This time of the year was also a good time to instruct young people in the lore of the land and the forest. In addition, certain birds and fish were associated with Matariki: to [[Ngāi Tūhoe|Tūhoe]] it marked the beginning of the season where [[kererū]] or native pigeon could be captured, cooked, and preserved in its own fat, and the rise of Matariki corresponded with the return of [[Pouched lamprey|korokoro]] (lampreys) from the sea to spawn in rivers.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|75}}  
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Food traditionally associated with Matariki">
File:Kumara for sale in New Zealand (2021).jpg|[[Kūmara]] (''Ipomoea batatas'')
File:Kererū on a rangiora at Zealandia.jpg|[[Kererū]] (''Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae'')
File:Lamprey (Geotria australis), Northland.jpg|[[Pouched lamprey|Korokoro]] (''Geotria australis'')
</gallery>

=== Viewing ===
Because of the frequent poor weather in winter, the viewing of Matariki was spread across the three or four nights of Tangaroa to increase the chance that the stars would be clearly seen. The first clear night marked the beginning of festivities.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|45}} When Matariki reappeared, Māori would look to its stars for a forecast of the coming season's prosperity: if they shone clear and bright, the remaining winter would be warm, but hazy or twinkling stars predicted bad weather in the season ahead.<ref name=":0" /> The colour, brightness, and distinctiveness of each star in Matariki would be assessed, and forecasts made according to each of their associations: for example, if Tupu-ā-rangi did not shine clearly then hunters would expect a poor catch of birds in the coming season. Pōhutukawa was linked to the deceased, so its brightness would signal how many people were likely to pass away in the coming year.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|60–61}} These predictions were made by [[tohunga]] kōkōrangi, learned elders who had studied and debated for many years in a whare kōkōrangi (house of astronomical learning).

=== Remembering the deceased ===
After the forecasts for the year had been read from the stars, the deceased were invoked with tears and song in a ceremony called {{Lang|Mi|te taki mōteatea}} ("the reciting of laments"). The names of everyone who had died since Matariki's last rising were recited.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|63}} Traditionally, Māori believed that the spirits of the dead were collected during the year and at the setting of Matariki in the month of Hautara they were led into the afterlife. On the rising of Matariki at the start of the year, the deceased of the past year were carried up from the underworld and cast up into the night sky to become stars, accompanied by prayers and the recitation of their names. Beginning the mourning for the previous year's departed at Matariki is still reflected in modern Māori mourning practices.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|64–65}}

=== Offering of food ===
An important part of the celebration was {{Lang|Mi|whāngai i te hautapu}}, a ceremonial offering of food to the stars. The reasoning was that Matariki, after shepherding the spirits of the dead up from the underworld and turning the sun back from the winter solstice, would be weak and in need of sustenance. A small [[hāngī]] or earth oven was built, with heated stones in a pit on which was placed food, a layer of leaves, and earth. The uncovering of the cooked food released steam which rose into the sky and fed the stars, the steam being the {{Lang|Mi|hautapu}} or sacred offering.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|69–70}} The food was chosen to correspond with the domains of the stars in Matariki: these might include [[Sweet potato|kūmara]] for Tupuānuku, a bird for Tupuārangi, freshwater fish for Waitī, and shellfish for Waitā. The offering of food was the final part of the ceremony, which ended at sunrise.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|69–70}}

The Matariki ceremony was followed by days of festivities – song, dance, and feasting – known as {{Lang|Mi|te mātahi o te tau}} ("the first fruits of the year"), celebrating prosperity, life, and the promise of the year to come.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|72–73}}

== Modern observance ==
[[File:The Fingers of Mother Earth.jpg|thumb|''The Fingers of Mother Earth'' sculpture at [[Stonehenge Aotearoa]] marks the heliacal rise of Matariki]]
[[File:Ahi Kā (8).jpg|thumb|Ahi Kā festival of fire and light celebrating Matariki, [[Wellington]], June 2018]]
With the colonisation of New Zealand by [[Pākehā]] settlers in the 19th century, many traditional Māori practices began to decline. Some aspects of Matariki were incorporated into new religious traditions such as the [[Ringatū]] church, but its traditional celebration had almost ceased by the early 20th century.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|87}} The last of the traditional Matariki celebrations were recorded in the 1940s.<ref name=":1" /> Dansey records the ceremony being still practised in the 1880s or 1890s, and gives an account of one elderly [[New Plymouth]] woman carrying on the custom on her own until her death in 1941.<ref name=":2" />

The revival of the celebration of Matariki can be traced to the early 1990s, sparked by various Māori iwi and organisations such as the [[Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa]],<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|87}} for example in 1995 there was a festival called ''Pipitea Marae: Te Whakanui i a Matariki,'' at [[Thorndon, New Zealand|Pipitea Marae]], Wellington City supported by Te Awa Kairangi Community Arts, Te Atiawa FM, [[Ernst & Young]] and Te Taura Whiri.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=1995-01-01 |title=Pipitea Marae: Te Whakanui i a Matariki. |url=https://digitalnz.org/records/33771902/pipitea-marae-te-whakanui-i-a-matariki-celebrate-the-maori-new-year-at-pipi |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=DigitalNZ}}</ref>

Te Rangi Huata of [[Ngāti Kahungunu]] began in 2000 an annual Matariki celebration in Hastings, which attracted 500 people, which reached 15,000 in 2001.<ref name=":1" /> In 2001, the [[Māori Language Commission]] began a move to "reclaim Matariki, or [[Aotearoa]] [[Pacific]] [[New Year]], as an important focus for Māori language regeneration". In 2016 [[Te Wānanga o Aotearoa]] promoted a new vision of Matariki in a month-long roadshow called "Te Iwa o Matariki" ({{Lang|Mi|iwa}} being Māori for "nine"), stressing the nine stars recognised by some iwi.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|88}}
[[File:Matariki2023Pōneke 05.jpg|thumb|Ahi Kā festival, Wellington 2023 ]]
Since then it has increasingly become common practice for people – Māori and non-Māori – and institutions such as schools, libraries, and city councils to celebrate Matariki in a range of ways.<ref>{{Cite web|last=[[Christchurch City Council]] |date=9 May 2008|title=Libraries celebrate Matariki with higher interactivity|url=https://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=20173|website=Infonews}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kidsfirst.co.nz/Matariki-celebrations-__I.62233__N.5159|title=Matariki celebrations |website=www.kidsfirst.co.nz |language=en|access-date=7 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/maori/matariki-maori-new-year/how-to-celebrate-matariki-home|title=How to celebrate Matariki at home|date=16 May 2018|website=Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ|language=en|access-date=7 March 2019}}</ref> These have included concerts, festivals of lights, the illumination of Auckland's [[Sky Tower (Auckland)|Sky Tower]], and tree planting.<ref>{{cite press release | url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1006/S00123.htm | title=Sky Tower Lights Up to Celebrate Matariki | publisher=[[Scoop (website)|Scoop]]/[[SKYCITY]] | date=10 June 2010 | access-date=15 January 2013}}</ref>  In 2017 [[Wellington City Council]] announced they would cancel the Sky Show fireworks held on [[Guy Fawkes Night]] for 22 years, and move them to a Matariki cultural festival from July 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Devlin|first=Collette|date=29 September 2017|title=Wellington City Council cancels Guy Fawkes and moves fireworks Sky Show to Matariki|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/97396436/wellington-city-council-cancels-guy-fawkes-and-moves-fireworks-to-matariki|access-date=7 March 2019|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> The celebrations have taken place over the period of a week or month, anywhere from early June to late August, but increasingly coincide with the winter solstice or the traditional dates of Matariki.

In 2008 [[NZ Post]] began issuing an annual series of stamps to celebrate Matariki.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matariki stamps for 2009 |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/interactive/matariki-stamps |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=nzhistory.govt.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mānawatia a Matariki - NZ Post stamps look to the stars ahead of the Māori New Year {{!}} NZ Post |url=https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/media-centre/media-release/manawatia-a-matariki-nz-post-stamps-look-to-stars-ahead-of-maori-new-year |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=www.nzpost.co.nz}}</ref>

In 2024, [[Charles III]], as [[King of New Zealand]], released a message recognising the holiday in both English and Māori.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Matariki Message from His Majesty King Charles III |date=28 June 2024 |url=https://gg.govt.nz/governor-general/blog/2024/06/matariki-message-his-majesty-king-charles-iii |publisher=The Governor-General of New Zealand |access-date=28 July 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Warmest good wishes': King Charles sends Matariki message to Kiwis |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/06/29/king-charles-sends-warmest-good-wishes-to-nz-for-matariki/ |website=[[1News]] |date=29 June 2024 |access-date=28 July 2024}}</ref> Earlier on 30 April, [[President of French Polynesia|President]] of [[French Polynesia]] [[Moetai Brotherson]] in a session with his [[Council of Ministers (French Polynesia)|Council of Ministers]] agreed to make their local counterpart {{lang|ty|Matariʻi}} as an official public holiday on November 20th in place of [[Internal Autonomy Day]] on June 29th inspired by the success of the celebrations in Aotearoa following a proposal by its Minister of Culture [[Eliane Tevahitua]];<ref>{{cite news |last1=Delorme |first1=Stéphanie |title=Faire de Matariʻi un jour férié |url=https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Faire-de-Matari-i-un-jour-ferie_a222797.html |work=[[:fr:Tahiti Infos|Tahiti Infos]] |language=fr|date=14 Mar 2024}}</ref> the act would be implemented officially on 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last=Prevost |first=Bertrand |title=Férié le 20 novembre, Matari'i remplace la fête de l'autonomie |url=https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Ferie-le-20-novembre-Matari-i-remplace-la-fete-de-l-autonomie_a223646.html |work=Tahiti Infos |language=fr|date=30 April 2024}}</ref>

===Public holiday===
[[File:Finale of Matariki fireworks over the Wellington Harbour from Brooklyn Hill.jpg|thumb|Fireworks in Wellington on first Matariki public holiday in 2022]]
A proposal to make Matariki an official [[public holiday in New Zealand]] was made by former [[Māori Party]] MP [[Rahui Katene]]'s [[Private member's bill#New Zealand|member's bill]] ''{{Lang|Mi|Te Ra o Matariki}} Bill/Matariki Day Bill'', drawn from the ballot in June 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=Te Rā o Matariki Bill/Matariki Day Bill — First Reading |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/49HansD_20090819_00001058/te-rā-o-matariki-billmatariki-day-bill-first-reading |publisher=[[New Zealand Parliament]] |access-date=12 July 2020 |language=en-NZ |date=19 August 2009}}</ref> The Bill would have fixed the date of a public holiday using the new moon in June;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tumeke.blogspot.com/2009/06/big-thursday-draw-matariki-on-hold_18.html|title=TUMEKE!: Big Thursday draw: Matariki on hold}}</ref> this was later changed to the new moon of the heliacal rising of Matariki when the bill was drawn a month later and set down for introduction into Parliament.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_2664039">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2664039/Matariki-holiday-bill-to-go-before-Parliament |title=Matariki holiday bill to go before Parliament |date=22 July 2009 |agency=[[NZPA]] |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |access-date=22 October 2011}}</ref> [[Mayor of Waitakere City]] [[Bob Harvey (mayor)|Bob Harvey]] supported the call to make Matariki a public holiday to replace [[Queen's Official Birthday#New Zealand|Queen's Birthday]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0906/S00280.htm|title=Mayor Joins Call For Matariki Public Holiday|date=22 June 2009|publisher=[[Scoop (website)|Scoop]]}}</ref> along with the [[Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand]], which found none of New Zealand's local authorities held celebrations for Queen's Birthday but many celebrated Matariki.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0905/S00419.htm|title=No Celebrations For Queen's Birthday|date=29 May 2009|publisher=[[Scoop (website)|Scoop]]}}</ref> However, the Bill itself did not propose abolishing Queen's Birthday, and was voted down at its [[first reading]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://news.tangatawhenua.com/2009/08/te-ra-o-matariki-bill-%e2%80%93-matariki-day-bill-loses-on-first-reading/| title=Te Ra o Matariki Bill – Matariki Day Bill loses on first reading| date=20 August 2009| first=Rahui| last=Katene| publisher=tangatawhenua.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822091234/http://news.tangatawhenua.com/2009/08/te-ra-o-matariki-bill-%E2%80%93-matariki-day-bill-loses-on-first-reading/ |archive-date=22 August 2016}}</ref>

As part of the [[New Zealand National Party|National]]–[[Māori Party]] agreement subsequent to the [[2011 New Zealand general election]], both parties agreed to support a "cultural heritage bill to recognise Matariki/Puanga, and to honour the peace-making heritage established at [[Parihaka]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1112/Maori_Party_agreement11_Dec.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191810/http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1112/Maori_Party_agreement11_Dec.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=live|title=Relationship Accord and Confidence and Supply Agreement with the Māori Party|date=11 December 2011|access-date=15 February 2012|publisher=[[Scoop (website)|Scoop]]}}</ref>

In July 2020, [[Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira]] delivered two combined petitions calling for Matariki to be made a public holiday that were signed by 30,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=30,000-strong petition to make Matariki a public holiday moves onto next stage |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/122241314/30000strong-petition-to-make-matariki-a-public-holiday-moves-onto-next-stage |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] }}</ref> 

On 7 September 2020, [[New Zealand Prime Minister|Prime Minister]] [[Jacinda Ardern]] pledged to make Matariki a public holiday if the [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party]] were re-elected in the [[2020 New Zealand general election|2020 general election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/local-democracy/news/article.cfm?c_id=1504814&objectid=12362948|title=Election 2020: Matariki will become a public holiday if Labour re-elected – PM|date=7 September 2020|access-date=7 September 2020|publisher=[[The New Zealand Herald]]}}</ref> The proposed public holiday would not be implemented until 2022, during which businesses could recover from the economic impacts of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300101386/election-2020-labour-would-make-matariki-a-public-holiday-from-2022|title=Election 2020: Labour would make Matariki a public holiday from 2022|date=7 September 2020|access-date=7 September 2020|publisher=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]}}</ref> On 4 February 2021, Ardern announced the first date for the public holiday as 24 June 2022.<ref name="beehive-govt-matariki">{{cite web | url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/2022-matariki-holiday-date-announced | title=2022 Matariki holiday date announced }}</ref> Legislation to give this legal effect would be introduced during the 2021 parliamentary session.<ref name="RNZHolidayDate">{{cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/435789/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-reveals-date-of-first-matariki-public-holiday|title=Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reveals date of first Matariki public holiday|date=4 February 2021|work=[[Radio New Zealand]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205074931/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/435789/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-reveals-date-of-first-matariki-public-holiday|archive-date=5 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Whyte |first1=Anna |title=Jacinda Ardern reveals what date NZ will celebrate its new Matariki public holiday in 2022 |url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-reveals-date-nz-celebrate-its-new-matariki-public-holiday-in-2022 |access-date=4 February 2021 |work=[[1News]] |date=4 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204025813/https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-reveals-date-nz-celebrate-its-new-matariki-public-holiday-in-2022 |archive-date=4 February 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 2 July 2021, the day the constellation rose, Ardern announced the proposed dates of the holiday for the next 30 years, as determined by a Matariki Advisory Group drawn from iwi across the country.<ref name=":1" /> The date of the holiday was formalised as the Friday closest to the 4 days of the nights of Tangaroa in the lunar month Piripi.<ref name=":4" /> The dates vary from late June to mid July, but are always on a Friday, to encourage people to travel and spend time with their families, and to give an extra public holiday to people who usually miss out on Mondayised public holidays (e.g. those who normally work Tuesday to Saturday).<ref>{{cite news |title=Matariki public holiday dates for next 30 years announced |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/445990/matariki-public-holiday-dates-for-next-30-years-announced |access-date=3 July 2021 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=2 July 2021}}</ref> The date of Matariki varies because the 354-day Māori lunar calendar (with occasional [[Intercalation (timekeeping)|intercalary]] months) only approximates the 365.24 day solar [[Gregorian calendar|Gregorian]] solar calendar.<ref name=":4" />

On 30 September 2021, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage [[Kiri Allan]] introduced the [[Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022|Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill]] to make Matariki a public holiday. The bill passed its first reading supported by the Labour, [[Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand|Green]] and Māori parties, but opposed by National and [[ACT New Zealand|ACT]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Kate |title=Matariki Public Holiday Bill has first reading in Parliament |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300420056/matariki-public-holiday-bill-has-first-reading-in-parliament |access-date=1 October 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=30 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001001834/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300420056/matariki-public-holiday-bill-has-first-reading-in-parliament |archive-date=1 October 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> National argued that Matariki should replace an existing public holiday instead of being added as a new holiday, to lessen the impact on businesses which is estimated to be [[NZ$]]448 million annually.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cooke |first=Henry |date=2 July 2021 |title=Matariki public holiday will always fall on a Friday, Government announces |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/125624741/matariki-public-holiday-will-always-fall-on-a-friday-government-announces |access-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> The bill passed its second reading on 29 March 2022. During the debate, the National and ACT parties expressed concerns  about creating a 12th public holiday; claiming that it would cost NZ$450 million and have a negative impact on businesses. The Labour, Green and Māori parties argued that the bill would establish a new Māori public holiday in the calendar and raise awareness of Māori indigenous knowledge.<ref>{{cite web |date=29 March 2022 |title=Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki / Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill — Second Reading |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20220329_20220329_40 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404071846/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20220329_20220329_40 |archive-date=4 April 2022 |access-date=25 April 2022 |publisher=[[New Zealand Parliament]]}}</ref>

The bill passed its third reading on 7 April.<ref name="rnz-matariki-first">{{cite news |title=Matariki public holiday passes into law |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/464833/matariki-public-holiday-passes-into-law |access-date=8 April 2022 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407111122/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/464833/matariki-public-holiday-passes-into-law |archive-date=7 April 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> During the final debate, National MP [[Paul Goldsmith (politician)|Paul Goldsmith]] argued that Matariki should replace a previous public holiday while ACT's Small Business spokesperson [[Chris Baillie (politician)|Chris Baillie]] claimed that having a new public holiday would cost businesses NZ$453 million. The Bill's sponsor [[Kiritapu Allan]] defended Matariki, arguing that public holidays reduced employee burnout and stress while boosting hospitality and tourism. National MP [[Simon O'Connor]] suggested naming the bill a "neutral" name such as [[Pleiades]], which prompted Crown-Māori Relations Minister [[Kelvin Davis (politician)|Kelvin Davis]] to claim that the former's remarks showed National's contempt for Māori culture.<ref>{{cite news |date=7 April 2022 |title=Matariki public holiday passes into law |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/464833/matariki-public-holiday-passes-into-law |url-status=live |access-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407111122/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/464833/matariki-public-holiday-passes-into-law |archive-date=7 April 2022}}</ref> The bill received royal assent on 11 April 2022.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://cromwellnews.co.nz/2022/05/matariki-2022-our-new-official-holiday-receives-royal-assent/ |title=Matariki 2022 – our new official holiday receives royal assent |date=3 May 2022 |work=Cromwell and District News |first=Jan |last=Hawkins |access-date=20 June 2022}}</ref>

Matariki was first observed as a public holiday on 24 June 2022, including a pre-dawn live broadcast of a hautapu ceremony.<ref name="one-news-broadcast-matariki2022">{{Cite web |last1=Worthington |first1=Samantha |title=Matariki 2022: Hautapu ceremony marks dawning of a new day |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/06/24/matariki-2022-hautapu-ceremony-marks-dawning-of-a-new-day/ |website=1 News}}</ref> It was received positively overall by New Zealanders.<ref name="matariki-implemented-herald">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/matariki-2022-celebrations-around-the-country-for-the-first-matariki-public-holiday/KHEEMAAQ4GUTVLYVRPMDOPG5CI/|title=United under the stars of Aotearoa: Celebrations around the country for the first Matariki public holiday|website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=23 June 2022 }}</ref><ref name="one-news-broadcastprep-matariki2022">{{Cite web|url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/06/23/early-morning-event-pm-speech-to-mark-first-matariki-holiday/|title=Early morning event, PM speech to mark first Matariki holiday|website=1 News}}</ref>{{not in source|date=July 2023}} Its significance to New Zealanders is also enhanced by being exclusive to New Zealand culture.<ref name="guardian-matariki">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/24/matariki-historic-moment-as-new-zealand-celebrates-first-indigenous-public-holiday|title=Matariki: 'historic' moment as New Zealand celebrates first Indigenous public holiday|date=23 June 2022|website=[[The Guardian]] }}</ref>

For businesses, Matariki is treated identically to most other public holidays; employees working on Matariki are required to be paid [[time-and-a-half]] and there are no restrictions on shops opening or alcohol sales.<ref name="matariki-tepapa-herald">{{Cite web |last1=Lineham |first1=Lochlan |last2=Gordon |first2=Natasha |date=24 June 2022 |title=Star-studded Matariki event marks NZ's historic new holiday |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/explainer-what-is-matariki-star-studded-event-at-te-papa-marks-nzs-new-holiday/IP72G2WYZ5DGBW6JSJAGY6OS6U/ |website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] }}</ref> However, due to the unique cultural significance of the holiday, Māori cultural advisers and academics have warned companies against commercialising Matariki,<ref name="guardian-matariki" /> citing cultural disrespect.<ref name="matariki-bigmac-stuff">{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/128813588/noone-wants-to-see-a-matariki-big-mac-mori-cultural-advisers-warn-of-potential-commercialisation-of-matariki|title=No-one wants to see a 'Matariki Big Mac': Māori cultural advisers warn of potential commercialisation of Matariki|first=Daniel|last=Smith|date=18 June 2022|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] }}</ref> Due to its position between [[King's Official Birthday|King's Birthday]] and [[Labour Day (New Zealand)|Labour Day]], concerns were made regarding overcommercialisation of Matariki in terms of appropriating the extended public holiday as an opportunity for shopping events,<ref name="shopping-matariki-rnz">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/469625/businesses-that-opt-for-matariki-sales-drive-taking-a-risk|title=Businesses that opt for Matariki sales drive taking a risk|date=22 June 2022|website=[[RNZ]] }}</ref><ref name="matariki-commercialise-concerns-newshub">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/06/matariki-should-not-be-commercialised-retail-nz.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240411101311/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/06/matariki-should-not-be-commercialised-retail-nz.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2024-04-11|title=Matariki should not be commercialised – Retail NZ|newspaper=[[Newshub]] |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> such as the sale of fireworks.<ref name="matariki-commercialise-concerns-newshub" /> There are concerns regarding the impact of commercialisation on Matariki in the future, potentially associating the holiday with binge-drinking instead of time with whānau (family) as intended.<ref name="nzherald-notsaintpatties-matariki">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/matariki-2022-astronomer-hopes-celebration-will-focus-on-whanau-not-binge-drinking/AEC4XMFUERW2IBI67UITIOIAOU/|title=Matariki 2022: Hopes for celebration to focus on tradition|website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Tangaroa lunar period
!Matariki public holiday
|-
|2022
|21–24 June
|[[June 24|24 June]]
|-
|2023
|10–13 July
|[[July 14|14 July]]
|-
|2024
|29 June – 2 July
|[[June 28|28 June]]
|-
|2025
|19–22 June
|[[June 20|20 June]]
|-
|2026
|8–11 July
|[[July 10|10 July]]
|-
|2027
|27–30 June 
|[[June 25|25 June]]
|-
|2028
|15–18 July
|[[July 14|14 July]]
|-
|2029
|4–7 July
|[[July 6|6 July]]
|-
|2030
|23–26 June
|[[June 21|21 June]]
|-
|2031
|11–14 July
|[[July 11|11 July]]
|-
|2032
|30 June – 2 July
|[[July 2|2 July]]
|-
|2033
|20–23 June
|[[June 24|24 June]]
|-
|2034
|9–12 July
|[[July 7|7 July]]
|-
|2035
|29 June – 1 July
|[[June 29|29 June]]
|}
<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-05 |title=Dates for the Matariki public holiday |url=https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/matariki-maori-new-year/dates-for-matariki-public-holiday |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Te Ture mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki 2022 No 14, Public Act Schedule 1 Dates of Matariki Observance Day – New Zealand Legislation |url=https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2022/0014/latest/LMS557893.html |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=www.legislation.govt.nz}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Matariki (film)|''Matariki'']], a 2010 New Zealand drama film set in [[Ōtara]], South Auckland
* [[Makahiki]], an [[ancient Hawaii]]an New Year festival
* [[Matrikas]], the Seven Mothers in Hindu tradition, often identified with the [[Krittika]] ([[Pleiades]]) constellation

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080403001105/http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/maori/matariki_m/index.shtml Matariki] at the [[Māori Language Commission]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090922034235/http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/Education/OnlineResources/Matariki/Pages/overview.aspx Matariki Online Learning Resources] from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
* [https://teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year ''Matariki – Māori New Year''] in Te Ara: the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716191833/http://panui.tangatawhenua.com/rangikainga/2007/issue10.htm ''Matariki: Awaiting their Ascent''] in [[TangataWhenua.com|Tangatawhenua.com]]
* [http://www.matarikifestival.org.nz/ Matariki Festival]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030718060237/http://www.astronomynz.org.nz/maori/first_month.htm The First Lunar Month (June – July)] at NZ Astronomy
*[https://www.mbie.govt.nz/business-and-employment/employment-and-skills/employment-legislation-reviews/matariki/matariki-public-holiday/ Matariki Public Holiday information] from the [[Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment|Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment]]
*{{cite web |title=Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki/Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill |url=https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2021/0076/latest/LMS557828.html |website=New Zealand Legislation}}
* {{APOD|date=24 November 2021|title=Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Star Cluster}}

{{New Year by Calendar}}
{{Winter solstice}}

{{commons}}

[[Category:Agricultural deities]]
[[Category:Māori mythology]]
[[Category:Māori words and phrases]]
[[Category:Māori language]]
[[Category:New Year celebrations]]
[[Category:Public holidays in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Observances on non-Gregorian calendars]]
[[Category:June observances]]
[[Category:July observances]]
[[Category:Winter festivals in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Winter holidays (Southern Hemisphere)]]
[[Category:Māori festivals]]
[[Category:Religious holidays]]
[[Category:Pleiades]]