Matariki is the Maori New Year, marked by the rising of the Matariki star cluster in late May or early June. The Maori New Year celebration involves family gathering, reflection on the past year, and preparing for the new season by planting crops as signs of new beginnings. Matariki is an important part of the traditional Maori calendar and was used to predict the coming seasons and crop yields based on the visibility and brightness of the Matariki stars.