Matariki
Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use New Zealand English {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#switch:June to July (varies)|January 1|January 2|January 3|January 4|January 5|January 6|January 7|January 8|January 9|January 10|January 11|January 12|January 13|January 14|January 15|January 16|January 17|January 18|January 19|January 20|January 21|January 22|January 23|January 24|January 25|January 26|January 27|January 28|January 29|January 30|January 31|February 1|February 2|February 3|February 4|February 5|February 6|February 7|February 8|February 9|February 10|February 11|February 12|February 13|February 14|February 15|February 16|February 17|February 18|February 19|February 20|February 21|February 22|February 23|February 24|February 25|February 26|February 27|February 28|February 29|February 30|February 31|March 1|March 2|March 3|March 4|March 5|March 6|March 7|March 8|March 9|March 10|March 11|March 12|March 13|March 14|March 15|March 16|March 17|March 18|March 19|March 20|March 21|March 22|March 23|March 24|March 25|March 26|March 27|March 28|March 29|March 30|March 31|April 1|April 2|April 3|April 4|April 5|April 6|April 7|April 8|April 9|April 10|April 11|April 12|April 13|April 14|April 15|April 16|April 17|April 18|April 19|April 20|April 21|April 22|April 23|April 24|April 25|April 26|April 27|April 28|April 29|April 30|April 31|May 1|May 2|May 3|May 4|May 5|May 6|May 7|May 8|May 9|May 10|May 11|May 12|May 13|May 14|May 15|May 16|May 17|May 18|May 19|May 20|May 21|May 22|May 23|May 24|May 25|May 26|May 27|May 28|May 29|May 30|May 31|June 1|June 2|June 3|June 4|June 5|June 6|June 7|June 8|June 9|June 10|June 11|June 12|June 13|June 14|June 15|June 16|June 17|June 18|June 19|June 20|June 21|June 22|June 23|June 24|June 25|June 26|June 27|June 28|June 29|June 30|June 31|July 1|July 2|July 3|July 4|July 5|July 6|July 7|July 8|July 9|July 10|July 11|July 12|July 13|July 14|July 15|July 16|July 17|July 18|July 19|July 20|July 21|July 22|July 23|July 24|July 25|July 26|July 27|July 28|July 29|July 30|July 31|August 1|August 2|August 3|August 4|August 5|August 6|August 7|August 8|August 9|August 10|August 11|August 12|August 13|August 14|August 15|August 16|August 17|August 18|August 19|August 20|August 21|August 22|August 23|August 24|August 25|August 26|August 27|August 28|August 29|August 30|August 31|September 1|September 2|September 3|September 4|September 5|September 6|September 7|September 8|September 9|September 10|September 11|September 12|September 13|September 14|September 15|September 16|September 17|September 18|September 19|September 20|September 21|September 22|September 23|September 24|September 25|September 26|September 27|September 28|September 29|September 30|September 31|October 1|October 2|October 3|October 4|October 5|October 6|October 7|October 8|October 9|October 10|October 11|October 12|October 13|October 14|October 15|October 16|October 17|October 18|October 19|October 20|October 21|October 22|October 23|October 24|October 25|October 26|October 27|October 28|October 29|October 30|October 31|November 1|November 2|November 3|November 4|November 5|November 6|November 7|November 8|November 9|November 10|November 11|November 12|November 13|November 14|November 15|November 16|November 17|November 18|November 19|November 20|November 21|November 22|November 23|November 24|November 25|November 26|November 27|November 28|November 29|November 30|November 31|December 1|December 2|December 3|December 4|December 5|December 6|December 7|December 8|December 9|December 10|December 11|December 12|December 13|December 14|December 15|December 16|December 17|December 18|December 19|December 20|December 21|December 22|December 23|December 24|December 25|December 26|December 27|December 28|December 29|December 30|December 31=|{{#switch:June to July (varies)|1 January|2 January|3 January|4 January|5 January|6 January|7 January|8 January|9 January|10 January|11 January|12 January|13 January|14 January|15 January|16 January|17 January|18 January|19 January|20 January|21 January|22 January|23 January|24 January|25 January|26 January|27 January|28 January|29 January|30 January|31 January|1 February|2 February|3 February|4 February|5 February|6 February|7 February|8 February|9 February|10 February|11 February|12 February|13 February|14 February|15 February|16 February|17 February|18 February|19 February|20 February|21 February|22 February|23 February|24 February|25 February|26 February|27 February|28 February|29 February|30 February|31 February|1 March|2 March|3 March|4 March|5 March|6 March|7 March|8 March|9 March|10 March|11 March|12 March|13 March|14 March|15 March|16 March|17 March|18 March|19 March|20 March|21 March|22 March|23 March|24 March|25 March|26 March|27 March|28 March|29 March|30 March|31 March|1 April|2 April|3 April|4 April|5 April|6 April|7 April|8 April|9 April|10 April|11 April|12 April|13 April|14 April|15 April|16 April|17 April|18 April|19 April|20 April|21 April|22 April|23 April|24 April|25 April|26 April|27 April|28 April|29 April|30 April|31 April|1 May|2 May|3 May|4 May|5 May|6 May|7 May|8 May|9 May|10 May|11 May|12 May|13 May|14 May|15 May|16 May|17 May|18 May|19 May|20 May|21 May|22 May|23 May|24 May|25 May|26 May|27 May|28 May|29 May|30 May|31 May|1 June|2 June|3 June|4 June|5 June|6 June|7 June|8 June|9 June|10 June|11 June|12 June|13 June|14 June|15 June|16 June|17 June|18 June|19 June|20 June|21 June|22 June|23 June|24 June|25 June|26 June|27 June|28 June|29 June|30 June|31 June|1 July|2 July|3 July|4 July|5 July|6 July|7 July|8 July|9 July|10 July|11 July|12 July|13 July|14 July|15 July|16 July|17 July|18 July|19 July|20 July|21 July|22 July|23 July|24 July|25 July|26 July|27 July|28 July|29 July|30 July|31 July|1 August|2 August|3 August|4 August|5 August|6 August|7 August|8 August|9 August|10 August|11 August|12 August|13 August|14 August|15 August|16 August|17 August|18 August|19 August|20 August|21 August|22 August|23 August|24 August|25 August|26 August|27 August|28 August|29 August|30 August|31 August|1 September|2 September|3 September|4 September|5 September|6 September|7 September|8 September|9 September|10 September|11 September|12 September|13 September|14 September|15 September|16 September|17 September|18 September|19 September|20 September|21 September|22 September|23 September|24 September|25 September|26 September|27 September|28 September|29 September|30 September|31 September|1 October|2 October|3 October|4 October|5 October|6 October|7 October|8 October|9 October|10 October|11 October|12 October|13 October|14 October|15 October|16 October|17 October|18 October|19 October|20 October|21 October|22 October|23 October|24 October|25 October|26 October|27 October|28 October|29 October|30 October|31 October|1 November|2 November|3 November|4 November|5 November|6 November|7 November|8 November|9 November|10 November|11 November|12 November|13 November|14 November|15 November|16 November|17 November|18 November|19 November|20 November|21 November|22 November|23 November|24 November|25 November|26 November|27 November|28 November|29 November|30 November|31 November|1 December|2 December|3 December|4 December|5 December|6 December|7 December|8 December|9 December|10 December|11 December|12 December|13 December|14 December|15 December|16 December|17 December|18 December|19 December|20 December|21 December|22 December|23 December|24 December|25 December|26 December|27 December|28 December|29 December|30 December|31 December=|}}}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox holiday with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| alt | begins | caption | celebrations | date | date2007 | date2008 | date2009 | date2010 | date2011 | date2012 | date2013 | date2014 | date2015 | date2016 | date2017 | date2018 | date2019 | date2020 | date2021 | date2022 | date2023 | date2024 | date2025 | date2025 | date2026 | date2027 | date2028 | date2029 | date2030 | duration | ends | firsttime | frequency | holiday_name | image | image_size | imagesize | lasttime | litcolor | longtype | mdy | month | nickname | observances | observedby | official_name | relatedto | scheduling | significance | startedby | type | week_ordinal | weekday }} In Māori culture, Matariki is the Pleiades star cluster and a celebration of its first rising in late June or early July. The rising marks the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar.
Historically, Matariki was usually celebrated for a period of days during the last quarter of the moon of the lunar month Pipiri (around June). The ceremony involved viewing the individual stars for forecasts of the year to come, mourning the deceased of the past year, and making an offering of food to replenish the stars. Some Māori use the rise of Puanga (Rigel) or other stars to mark the new year.
Celebration of Matariki declined during the 20th century, but beginning in the early 1990s it underwent a revival. Matariki was first celebrated as an official public holiday in New Zealand on 24 June 2022.
Name and meaningEdit
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars known to Western astronomers as the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is a shortened version of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "the eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea".<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to Māori tradition, Tāwhirimātea, the god of wind and weather, was enraged by the separation of heaven and earth – his parents, Ranginui and Papatūānuku.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Defeated in battle by his brother, Tāwhirimātea fled to the sky to live with Ranginui, but in his anger he first plucked out his eyes as a gesture of contempt towards his siblings, and flung them into the sky, where they remain, stuck to his father's chest. In Māori tradition the unpredictability of the winds is blamed on Tāwhirimātea's blindness.<ref name="Matamua">Template:Cite Q</ref>Template:Rp
The word {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is the name of both the star cluster and one of the stars within it. Other terms for the cluster as a whole include {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("Matariki fixed in the heavens") and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("the assembly of Matariki").<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
Matariki is sometimes incorrectly translated as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("little eyes"), a mistake originating in the work of Elsdon Best and continued by others.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref>
In other Polynesian culturesEdit
The word matariki or similar, referring to the Pleiades, is found in many Polynesian languages.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the Marquesas the star cluster is known as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, in the Cooks as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, and in the Tuamotu archipelago as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref name="Matamua"/>Template:Rp In some languages it has Best's meaning of 'little eyes', but in most it is a contraction of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, meaning 'eyes of the god' or 'eyes of the chief'.<ref name="Matamua"/>Template:Rp In [[Hawaiian Islands|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]], the rising of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in November ushers in the four-month season Makahiki, which honours Lono, the god of agriculture and fertility.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Matamua"/>Template:Rp In Tahiti, the year was divided into two seasons, named according to whether the Pleiades are visible after sunset: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} above') and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} below').<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On Rapa Nui, Matariki heralded the New Year, and its disappearance in mid-April ended the fishing season.<ref name="Matamua"/>Template:Rp
The nine starsEdit
To the ancient Greeks, the Pleiades contained nine stars: the parents Atlas and Pleione, positioned to one side of the cluster, and their seven daughters Alcyone, Maia, Taygeta, Electra, Merope, Celaeno and Sterope.
Many Māori sources, especially older ones, list seven stars in Matariki: Matariki herself, the central star in the cluster (the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or 'conductor'), and six children.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite journal</ref> The emblem of the Kīngitanga or Māori King movement, Te Paki o Matariki, includes the star Matariki flanked by three stars on each side.<ref name=":3" /> The six other stars are sometimes named as Matariki's daughters; it has been suggested that the idea of Matariki as a group of seven female stars was influenced by the concept of the Pleiades' "seven sisters".<ref name="Matamua" />
The manuscript of Rāwiri Te Kōkau passed on to Rangi Mātāmua recognised nine stars in Matariki, adding Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi (also known just as Hiwa) to make a total of eight children, five of which were female and three male. The father of Matariki's children was Rehua, paramount chief of the heavens, identified by Māori as the star Antares.<ref name="Matamua"/>Template:Rp
The stars of Matariki and their genders as recorded by Te Kōkau are identified with particular traits and areas of influence, also reflected in their positions in the star cluster:<ref name="Matamua"/>Template:Rp
.jpg){kind=link}
| Māori | Greek | Gender | Provenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matariki | Alcyone | Female | Well-being and health |
| Tupu-ā-rangi | Atlas | Male | Food that comes from above |
| Tupu-ā-nuku | Pleione | Female | Food that grows in the soil |
| Ururangi | Merope | Male | The winds |
| Waipunā-ā-rangi | Electra | Female | Rainwater |
| Hiwa-i-te-rangi | Celaeno | Female | Growth and prosperity |
| Waitī | Maia | Female | Fresh water |
| Waitā | Taygeta | Male | The ocean |
| Pōhutukawa | Sterope | Female | The deceased |
The star Pōhutukawa's association with the departed relates to the lone pōhutukawa tree at Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga), the departing place for the spirits of the deceased as they return to the ancestral homeland of Hawaiki. Mourning the deceased is one component of the Matariki celebration.<ref name="Matamua"/>Template:Rp
Hiwa-i-te-rangi, also known just as Hiwa, is the youngest of Matariki's children and was considered the "wishing star": Māori would rest their hopes and desires on Hiwa, similar to "wishing upon a star", and if it appeared to shine bright and clear on the first viewing of Matariki those individual and collective wishes were likely to be answered.<ref name="Matamua"/>Template:Rp
Māori New YearEdit
Traditional Māori culture was interwoven with astronomical knowledge, with constellations and the lunar cycle used for navigation, planting and harvesting, delineating the seasons, and marking the spawning and migration of fish.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This knowledge was passed down by oral tradition, and different regions and iwi recorded different dates, significant constellations, and traditional calendars or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref name=":0" />
The Pleiades constellation (Matariki) is visible for most of the year in New Zealand, except for approximately a month in the middle of winter. Matariki finally sets in the west in the early evening in May, and reappears just prior to sunrise in late June or early July, which begins the first month of the Māori lunar calendar, Pipiri (meaning to huddle together).<ref>Template:Cite dictionary</ref> All the months of the Māori calendar are indicated by this heliacal rising of a particular star on the eastern horizon just before dawn, on the night of the new moon: for example, the tenth month, Poutūterangi, is signalled by the heliacal rising of Altair.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp Matariki's role in signalling the start of the year means it is known as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("the star of the year").<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
The time in midsummer when Matariki is overhead in the night sky is referred to as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, i.e. the calm weather of summer – a phrase meaning good weather and good fortune. In Māori historical recollection, the Tainui canoe was instructed to leave the homeland of Hawaiki for Aotearoa in summer, when Matariki was overhead: this being a direct, ancient historical reference to Māori use of star navigation, for long sea voyaging. Because of these associations with peace and calm, the second Māori king, Matutaera Tāwhiao, chose Matariki as an emblem, and the Kīngitanga newspaper was named {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
Most celebration of Matariki begins in the last quarter phase of the moon after the constellation's first appearance, during 3–4 nights known as "the nights of Tangaroa" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), and finishes on the night before the new moon.<ref name=":0" /> The new moon, or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, is considered inauspicious in the Māori calendar, so would spoil any celebrations.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp Because Māori traditionally use a 354-day lunar calendar with 29.5 days to the month, rather than the 365-day Gregorian solar calendar, the dates of Matariki vary each year. Māori did not use a single unified lunar calendar, and different iwi might recognise different numbers of months, give them different names, or start the month on the full moon rather than the new moon.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
Puanga and MatarikiEdit
There has also always been regional variation across Aotearoa, in which stars signal the start of the New Year, and what date is chosen to celebrate it. Some iwi (tribes) – specifically those in the far north of Te Ika-a-Māui (the North Island), the mid-western parts of Te Ika-a-Māui around Taranaki, the Chatham Islands, and much of Te Waipounamu (South Island) – celebrate Puanga, using the rising of the brighter star Rigel (Puanga in northern Māori, Puaka in southern Māori) as the marker of the New Year, instead of Matariki. This is sometimes attributed to Puanga being more visible or visible earlier than Matariki, but, as Rangi Mātāmua puts it, "the variation in the rising between Matariki and Puanga is very small, and if the Tangaroa nights of Piripi are observed correctly, then both stars will be seen in the morning sky."<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp It has been suggested that that tradition of Puaka belonged to the first Polynesian settlers to arrive in Aotearoa, and Matariki was brought by a second wave of arrivals, who also brought the first kūmara (with which Matariki is associated).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In Māori tradition the stars Puanga and Matariki were rivals, with Puanga beautifying herself every winter, attempting to be the star beside which the sun rises and signals the New Year, but being eternally frustrated when each year the Sun rose beside Matariki.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
Other iwi use Atutahi (Canopus) rather than Puanga, or the setting of Rehua (Antares) in winter, to mark the New Year.<ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Traditional celebrationEdit
Matariki was an occasion to mourn the deceased, celebrate the present, and prepare the ground for the coming year.<ref name=":0" /> The ceremony had three parts: viewing the stars, remembering the deceased, and making an offering of food to the stars.<ref name=":0" /> This time of the year was also a good time to instruct young people in the lore of the land and the forest. In addition, certain birds and fish were associated with Matariki: to Tūhoe it marked the beginning of the season where kererū or native pigeon could be captured, cooked, and preserved in its own fat, and the rise of Matariki corresponded with the return of korokoro (lampreys) from the sea to spawn in rivers.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
- Food traditionally associated with Matariki
- Kumara for sale in New Zealand (2021).jpg
Kūmara (Ipomoea batatas)
- Kererū on a rangiora at Zealandia.jpg
Kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae)
- Lamprey (Geotria australis), Northland.jpg
Korokoro (Geotria australis)
ViewingEdit
Because of the frequent poor weather in winter, the viewing of Matariki was spread across the three or four nights of Tangaroa to increase the chance that the stars would be clearly seen. The first clear night marked the beginning of festivities.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp When Matariki reappeared, Māori would look to its stars for a forecast of the coming season's prosperity: if they shone clear and bright, the remaining winter would be warm, but hazy or twinkling stars predicted bad weather in the season ahead.<ref name=":0" /> The colour, brightness, and distinctiveness of each star in Matariki would be assessed, and forecasts made according to each of their associations: for example, if Tupu-ā-rangi did not shine clearly then hunters would expect a poor catch of birds in the coming season. Pōhutukawa was linked to the deceased, so its brightness would signal how many people were likely to pass away in the coming year.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp These predictions were made by tohunga kōkōrangi, learned elders who had studied and debated for many years in a whare kōkōrangi (house of astronomical learning).
Remembering the deceasedEdit
After the forecasts for the year had been read from the stars, the deceased were invoked with tears and song in a ceremony called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("the reciting of laments"). The names of everyone who had died since Matariki's last rising were recited.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp Traditionally, Māori believed that the spirits of the dead were collected during the year and at the setting of Matariki in the month of Hautara they were led into the afterlife. On the rising of Matariki at the start of the year, the deceased of the past year were carried up from the underworld and cast up into the night sky to become stars, accompanied by prayers and the recitation of their names. Beginning the mourning for the previous year's departed at Matariki is still reflected in modern Māori mourning practices.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
Offering of foodEdit
An important part of the celebration was {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, a ceremonial offering of food to the stars. The reasoning was that Matariki, after shepherding the spirits of the dead up from the underworld and turning the sun back from the winter solstice, would be weak and in need of sustenance. A small hāngī or earth oven was built, with heated stones in a pit on which was placed food, a layer of leaves, and earth. The uncovering of the cooked food released steam which rose into the sky and fed the stars, the steam being the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or sacred offering.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp The food was chosen to correspond with the domains of the stars in Matariki: these might include kūmara for Tupuānuku, a bird for Tupuārangi, freshwater fish for Waitī, and shellfish for Waitā. The offering of food was the final part of the ceremony, which ended at sunrise.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
The Matariki ceremony was followed by days of festivities – song, dance, and feasting – known as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("the first fruits of the year"), celebrating prosperity, life, and the promise of the year to come.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
Modern observanceEdit
.jpg){kind=link}
With the colonisation of New Zealand by Pākehā settlers in the 19th century, many traditional Māori practices began to decline. Some aspects of Matariki were incorporated into new religious traditions such as the Ringatū church, but its traditional celebration had almost ceased by the early 20th century.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp The last of the traditional Matariki celebrations were recorded in the 1940s.<ref name=":1" /> Dansey records the ceremony being still practised in the 1880s or 1890s, and gives an account of one elderly New Plymouth woman carrying on the custom on her own until her death in 1941.<ref name=":2" />
The revival of the celebration of Matariki can be traced to the early 1990s, sparked by various Māori iwi and organisations such as the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa,<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp for example in 1995 there was a festival called Pipitea Marae: Te Whakanui i a Matariki, at Pipitea Marae, Wellington City supported by Te Awa Kairangi Community Arts, Te Atiawa FM, Ernst & Young and Te Taura Whiri.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Te Rangi Huata of Ngāti Kahungunu began in 2000 an annual Matariki celebration in Hastings, which attracted 500 people, which reached 15,000 in 2001.<ref name=":1" /> In 2001, the Māori Language Commission began a move to "reclaim Matariki, or Aotearoa Pacific New Year, as an important focus for Māori language regeneration". In 2016 Te Wānanga o Aotearoa promoted a new vision of Matariki in a month-long roadshow called "Te Iwa o Matariki" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} being Māori for "nine"), stressing the nine stars recognised by some iwi.<ref name="Matamua" />Template:Rp
Since then it has increasingly become common practice for people – Māori and non-Māori – and institutions such as schools, libraries, and city councils to celebrate Matariki in a range of ways.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These have included concerts, festivals of lights, the illumination of Auckland's Sky Tower, and tree planting.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> In 2017 Wellington City Council announced they would cancel the Sky Show fireworks held on Guy Fawkes Night for 22 years, and move them to a Matariki cultural festival from July 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The celebrations have taken place over the period of a week or month, anywhere from early June to late August, but increasingly coincide with the winter solstice or the traditional dates of Matariki.
In 2024, Charles III, as King of New Zealand, released a message recognising the holiday in both English and Māori.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Earlier on 30 April, President of French Polynesia Moetai Brotherson in a session with his Council of Ministers agreed to make their local counterpart {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} as an official public holiday on November 20th in place of Internal Autonomy Day on June 29th inspired by the success of the celebrations in Aotearoa following a proposal by its Minister of Culture Eliane Tevahitua;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the act would be implemented officially on 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Public holidayEdit
A proposal to make Matariki an official public holiday in New Zealand was made by former Māori Party MP Rahui Katene's member's bill {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} Bill/Matariki Day Bill, drawn from the ballot in June 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Bill would have fixed the date of a public holiday using the new moon in June;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> this was later changed to the new moon of the heliacal rising of Matariki when the bill was drawn a month later and set down for introduction into Parliament.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_2664039">Template:Cite news</ref> Mayor of Waitakere City Bob Harvey supported the call to make Matariki a public holiday to replace Queen's Birthday,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> along with the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand, which found none of New Zealand's local authorities held celebrations for Queen's Birthday but many celebrated Matariki.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, the Bill itself did not propose abolishing Queen's Birthday, and was voted down at its first reading.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
As part of the National–Māori Party agreement subsequent to the 2011 New Zealand general election, both parties agreed to support a "cultural heritage bill to recognise Matariki/Puanga, and to honour the peace-making heritage established at Parihaka."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In July 2020, Te Raukura O'Connell Rapira delivered two combined petitions calling for Matariki to be made a public holiday that were signed by 30,000 people.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On 7 September 2020, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pledged to make Matariki a public holiday if the Labour Party were re-elected in the 2020 general election.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The proposed public holiday would not be implemented until 2022, during which businesses could recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 4 February 2021, Ardern announced the first date for the public holiday as 24 June 2022.<ref name="beehive-govt-matariki">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Legislation to give this legal effect would be introduced during the 2021 parliamentary session.<ref name="RNZHolidayDate">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 2 July 2021, the day the constellation rose, Ardern announced the proposed dates of the holiday for the next 30 years, as determined by a Matariki Advisory Group drawn from iwi across the country.<ref name=":1" /> The date of the holiday was formalised as the Friday closest to the 4 days of the nights of Tangaroa in the lunar month Piripi.<ref name=":4" /> The dates vary from late June to mid July, but are always on a Friday, to encourage people to travel and spend time with their families, and to give an extra public holiday to people who usually miss out on Mondayised public holidays (e.g. those who normally work Tuesday to Saturday).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The date of Matariki varies because the 354-day Māori lunar calendar (with occasional intercalary months) only approximates the 365.24 day solar Gregorian solar calendar.<ref name=":4" />
On 30 September 2021, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan introduced the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill to make Matariki a public holiday. The bill passed its first reading supported by the Labour, Green and Māori parties, but opposed by National and ACT.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> National argued that Matariki should replace an existing public holiday instead of being added as a new holiday, to lessen the impact on businesses which is estimated to be NZ$448 million annually.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The bill passed its second reading on 29 March 2022. During the debate, the National and ACT parties expressed concerns about creating a 12th public holiday; claiming that it would cost NZ$450 million and have a negative impact on businesses. The Labour, Green and Māori parties argued that the bill would establish a new Māori public holiday in the calendar and raise awareness of Māori indigenous knowledge.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The bill passed its third reading on 7 April.<ref name="rnz-matariki-first">Template:Cite news</ref> During the final debate, National MP Paul Goldsmith argued that Matariki should replace a previous public holiday while ACT's Small Business spokesperson Chris Baillie claimed that having a new public holiday would cost businesses NZ$453 million. The Bill's sponsor Kiritapu Allan defended Matariki, arguing that public holidays reduced employee burnout and stress while boosting hospitality and tourism. National MP Simon O'Connor suggested naming the bill a "neutral" name such as Pleiades, which prompted Crown-Māori Relations Minister Kelvin Davis to claim that the former's remarks showed National's contempt for Māori culture.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The bill received royal assent on 11 April 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Matariki was first observed as a public holiday on 24 June 2022, including a pre-dawn live broadcast of a hautapu ceremony.<ref name="one-news-broadcast-matariki2022">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was received positively overall by New Zealanders.<ref name="matariki-implemented-herald">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="one-news-broadcastprep-matariki2022">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Not in source Its significance to New Zealanders is also enhanced by being exclusive to New Zealand culture.<ref name="guardian-matariki">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
For businesses, Matariki is treated identically to most other public holidays; employees working on Matariki are required to be paid time-and-a-half and there are no restrictions on shops opening or alcohol sales.<ref name="matariki-tepapa-herald">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, due to the unique cultural significance of the holiday, Māori cultural advisers and academics have warned companies against commercialising Matariki,<ref name="guardian-matariki" /> citing cultural disrespect.<ref name="matariki-bigmac-stuff">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Due to its proximity between King's Birthday and Labour Day, concerns were made regarding overcommercialisation of Matariki in terms of appropriating the extended public holiday as an opportunity for shopping events,<ref name="shopping-matariki-rnz">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="matariki-commercialise-concerns-newshub">Template:Cite news</ref> such as the sale of fireworks.<ref name="matariki-commercialise-concerns-newshub" /> There are concerns regarding the impact of commercialisation on Matariki in the future, potentially associating the holiday with binge-drinking instead of time with whānau (family) as intended.<ref name="nzherald-notsaintpatties-matariki">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Year | Tangaroa lunar period | Matariki public holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 21–24 June | 24 June |
| 2023 | 10–13 July | 14 July |
| 2024 | 29 June – 2 July | 28 June |
| 2025 | 19–22 June | 20 June |
| 2026 | 8–11 July | 10 July |
| 2027 | 27–30 June | 25 June |
| 2028 | 15–18 July | 14 July |
| 2029 | 4–7 July | 6 July |
| 2030 | 23–26 June | 21 June |
| 2031 | 11–14 July | 11 July |
| 2032 | 30 June – 2 July | 2 July |
| 2033 | 20–23 June | 24 June |
| 2034 | 9–12 July | 7 July |
| 2035 | 29 June – 1 July | 29 June |
<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
See alsoEdit
- Matariki, a 2010 New Zealand drama film set in Ōtara, South Auckland
- Makahiki, an ancient Hawaiian New Year festival
- Matrikas, the Seven Mothers in Hindu tradition, often identified with the Krittika (Pleiades) constellation
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Matariki at the Māori Language Commission
- Matariki Online Learning Resources from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Matariki – Māori New Year in Te Ara: the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- Matariki: Awaiting their Ascent in Tangatawhenua.com
- Matariki Festival
- The First Lunar Month (June – July) at NZ Astronomy
- Matariki Public Holiday information from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}