Matariki is the Maori New Year which begins when the Pleiades star cluster called Matariki rises in late May or early June. It is a time for families to gather, remember those who have passed away, and look to the future. Special foods would be eaten during celebrations of the Maori New Year depending on how widely spaced the stars appeared.

1. Maori New Year 2015

2. What is
Matariki?
The name Matariki is Maori and includes the following meanings:
Mata-riki: Tiny Eyes and Mata Ariki- Eyes of God.
Matariki is an open cluster of very bright stars that can be seen in
New Zealand in June.

3. The Maori New
YearMost people in the world celebrate the start of the new year on 1 January.
But the Maori New Year starts when the first moon after the rising of
Matariki is seen.

4. If the stars of Matariki appear widely spaced, then it is
meant to be a warm season and food should be plentiful.

5. Matariki and
FishIt was said that when Matariki rose, fish such as the Moki and the Korokoro could be caught.
Special nets were made to catch korokoro. What was caught was eaten during Matariki
celebrations.

6. Some ways to celebrate matariki
• ele
Matariki is about remembering people who died, but also
looking toward the future. It is a time for feasting and
celebrating with family and friends.

7. Matariki Kites
Manu Aute, or kites, are flown during Matariki. Manu
Aute are seen as connectors between heaven and earth.

8. Other names for
Matariki• J Japanese call
Matariki ‘Subaru’.
In Japan they can
only see six stars.
It is the name
given to one of the
world’s most
popular car
brands.

9. The Greeks call Matariki ‘Pleiades’. They have
many stories about Pleiades, much like Maori.
In both Ancient Greece and Mexico, several temples are aligned with the rising
and setting of Matariki.

10. How to see
MatarikiFrom June the 10,
Matariki can be seen in
the dawn sky in
Aotearoa.
To be able to see matariki
you will have to get up
about an hour before the
sun rise.
To be able to see Matariki, you will
have to get up about an hour
before the sun rises.

11. Matariki will appear in our
skies this year on June 28th,
2014. A great place to view it
is from the top of
Maungakiekie, or One Tree
Hill. Don’t miss out!