What is Matariki?
Ko Matariki kei runga, ko te tohu tēnā o te tau!
Matariki is a time of reflection, celebration, and renewal. Learn about this star cluster, its significance, when it rises, and how to pronounce its name.
Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi
Mānawa maiea te mātahi o te tau
Hail the rise of Matariki,
Hail the lord of the sky,
Hail the New Year.
What is Matariki?
Matariki refers to a prominent star cluster internationally known as the Pleiades. This cluster is part of the Taurus constellation and holds a history that stretches back 17,000 years.
Around the world, this star group is celebrated under many names:
- Japan: Subaru ("to come together")
- China: Mao (the "hairy head of the white tiger")
- India: Krittika
- Greece: The Seven Sisters
- Norse mythology: Freyja’s Hens
For Māori, Matariki marks the Māori New Year (te Mātahi o te Tau). Its annual rising on the eastern horizon before sunrise signals a time to gather, honor the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.
Matariki: A National Holiday
In 2022, Matariki was officially recognized as a public holiday in Aotearoa New Zealand. Te Ture mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki 2022 | Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022 came into effect in April 2022. It is the first public holiday in Aotearoa to embrace te ao Māori.
When is Matariki?
Matariki disappears from the evening sky during early winter (Takurua). After about a month, it re-emerges on the eastern horizon just before sunrise, coinciding with mid-winter. The rising of Matariki is observed during the lunar phase of Tangaroa, a time associated with abundance and celebration.
Historically, this period marked the end of major seasonal work for Māori ancestors. Harvests were complete, and food was stored for winter. Communities would gather to honor the dead, spend time with loved ones, share kai (food), and welcome the New Year with stories, songs (waiata), and festivities.
You can check out dates for Matariki for every year between 2022 to 2052 by CLICKING HERE.
What Does Matariki Mean?
The name Matariki is often translated as "small eyes" (mata = eye, riki = small). However, its deeper origin comes from the phrase Ngā mata o te ariki Tāwhirimātea — "the eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea."
This story stems from the Māori creation narrative. After Tāne separated Ranginui (the Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (the Earth Mother), Tāwhirimātea, the god of winds, protested. In anger and love for his father, he plucked out his eyes, crushed them, and cast them into the sky. They became the stars of Matariki.
Who is Matariki?
Matariki is both the name of the cluster and its brightest star (Alcyone). In Māori tradition, this star is considered the mother of the eight other visible stars in the cluster, symbolizing health and well-being.
Celebrate Matariki as a time to connect with your heritage, community, and the world around you. Mānawatia a Matariki!