Our new Matariki national holiday, the country's first public holiday centred on Māori culture, is being celebrated on Friday 24 June this year.
The three themes of [every] Matariki:
- A chance to reflect: remembering those we have lost and acknowledging our own journey over the last year.
- A time to celebrate: reconnecting with whānau, friends and food
- A reset: preparing for the year ahead with a focus on wellbeing and life balance.
Ash Does the holiday mark an astronomical new year? In India, different regions celebrate similarly themed New Year’s Day festivals at different times of the year, depending on whether they’re following the lunar calendar, solar calender, harvest cycle etc.
Miraz Jordan @AshP Well spotted. Matariki is the Māori name for the group of stars others know as Pleiades. It's midwinter here and the celebration revolves around the first sighting of the Matariki above the horizon.