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Matariki will be celebrated for the second time as a national public holiday on Friday, July 14. But what is it? How did it come about, and why is it so important?
What is it?
Matariki is the Māori name used to describe the entire star cluster also known as Pleiades.
Matariki is a period of weeks, not just one day. What is also known as the Māori New Year takes place from around late May to early July, with dates varying every year.
The sighting of the star cluster marks the beginning of a new year and is a time to farewell the dead, honour tūpuna and celebrate life.
Some tribes in the north and west use Puanga (also known as Rigel), which is the brightest star in the Orion constellation, to mark the new year. Tainui iwi, in the central North Island, use Rerehu, also known as Antares.
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Matariki aligns with the maramataka lunar calendar.
Matariki: The eyes of the god
According to Māori creation, Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother, were separated from an eternal embrace by their sons. They had lived cramped together in the darkness between their parents and wanted more freedom to be able to move around.
Tāne Mahuta, god of the forests, suggested separating their parents forever. All the brothers agreed, except for Tāwhirimātea, the god of weather.
Tāne Mahuta was able to separate their parents by lying on his back and using his legs to push their father, Rangi, higher into the sky.
Angry at his brothers, Tāwhirimātea joined Rangi in the skies and, together, they plotted revenge against the other brothers.
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The sighting of the stars marks the beginning of a new year – a time to farewell the dead, honour tūpuna and celebrate life.
Tāwhirimātea launched attacks against his brothers, starting with Tāne Mahuta.
The trees of Tāne’s domain were snapped in two and fell to the ground. Then Tāwhirimātea attacked Tangaroa, the god of the sea, causing the waves to grow as tall as mountains.
After this he set on Rongomātāne, god of cultivated food, and Haumiatiketike, god of fern root and uncultivated food. To escape, they hid within their mother Papatūānuku. That is why kūmara and fern root burrow into the earth.
Tāwhirimātea finally attacked Tūmatauenga. The god of war stood firm and endured the fierce weather his brother sent. He developed incantations to cause favourable winds, and tūā (charms or spells) to bring fair weather. Because neither brother can win, Tāwhirimātea continues to attack people in storms and cyclones.
In pain at the separation of his parents, Tāwhirimātea tore out his eyes in chunks and threw them into the heavens, which are now visible as the Matariki star cluster.
The place of Matariki in Te Ao Māori
Matariki aligns with the Maramataka, the ancient Polynesian lunar calendar used when Māori first arrived in Aotearoa around 800 to 1000 years ago. The maramataka system synchronises the daily activities of people with the natural world, Moon, Sun, stars and planets.
The new year begins with the first new moon following the appearance of the Matariki cluster, thus a new cycle. Traditionally, this was the time to acknowledge the dead and to release their spirits to become stars.
It was also a time to reflect, to be thankful to the gods for the harvest, to feast and to share the bounty of the harvest with family and friends.
This story was first published on June 24, 2022, when the first Matariki public holiday was celebrated. Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki (the Matariki Public Holiday Bill) was passed on April 7, 2022.
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