Click on links:
Matariki 2023Tauranga City Library
Matariki - My Tauranga
Mānawatia a Matariki
When Matariki rises we encourage everyone to return to their whānau and friends, wherever and whoever they might be, to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, plan for the future, and feast.
Matariki is a name for a cluster of stars known as the Pleiades and signals to Māori that a New Year will begin. It is a time to observe the stars, predict the harvest, mourn our loved ones, and make an offering of kai for replenishing the stars. It is a time to educate our young ones with the ancient lore of the forest and land. Click on the links above to learn more.
Introducing Pōhutukawa
Pōhutukawa (Sterope/Asterope) is the eldest child of Matariki and is the star that is connected to our loved ones who have passed on, we are encouraged to remember and honour their memories, call out their names through a ceremony, and their spirits are released to become stars.
It is also a time to appreciate our duty of care we have for the environment (te taiao). It is about thinking differently about our relationship with the environment and recognising the full range of values can res tore balance.
E tū Pōhutukawa e te kaikawe i ngā mate o te tau. Haere rā koutou ki te uma o Ranginui. Haere ki te kete nui a tāne. Koia rā! Kua whetūrangitia koutou.