Matariki

Matariki is a celebration commemorating the Maori new year. It is also a time for harvesting, mourning and feasting.

Celebrations for Matariki started before the Europeans came and carried on, but soon died down, one of the last recorded Matariki celebrations being recorded in 1940. They regained popularity in the early 21st century, around 2001.

Mataariki - Eyes of the Ariki - is said to be made of the eyes/tears of the god of the winds, Tawhirimatea. Other stories say that the largest star is the mother star while the other six are its sisters. One story I heard is that the seven sisters came in the form of beautiful women and enchanted Maui’s brothers. The brothers practically served the maidens. Maui soon picked up on this and sent the seven maidens into the sky, turning them into stars.

The celebrations of Matariki were originally made the night the seven stars disappeared. The people would harvest their crops and put them in their storage houses. The next day, on the new moon, the people would celebrate and feast on their successful crops and hunts. They would also pray for the people who had died the previous year, who they believe had turned into stars.

Today, people celebrate Matariki with concerts, cultural performances, craft workshops and other celebratory activities. People gather with their families and look at the past. They harvest any plants they’d planted then replant them the next day. Plenty of celebratory preparations are in place for Matariki.