Matariki marks the Māori New Year, which is celebrated in late May or early June. According to Māori legend, Matariki is the constellation formed by the eyes of the sky father Tawhirimatea that were flung into the heavens in anger. It consists of seven stars known by various names and represents either a mother surrounded by her daughters or a male star. The new year begins with the rising of Matariki before dawn and the sighting of the next new moon. Traditional Māori celebrations last three days and involve planting crops, offerings to land gods, remembering ancestry, stargazing, and communal cooking.