Matariki 2022

Matariki 2022

24 June 2022

The Government has created a new public holiday for Aotearoa by passing the Te Ture mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o Te Kāhui o Matariki / Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act. A Matariki public holiday will be our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Māori.

Did you know? The Bill, Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o Te Kāhui o Matariki / Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill, was only the fifth dual language Bill to be introduced to our Parliament. The first public holiday to celebrate Matariki will be on Friday 24 June 2022.

The Government has committed to ensuring mātauranga Māori is at the heart of celebrations of the Matariki public holiday, and it will be a time for:

Remembrance – Honouring those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki

Celebrating the present – Gathering together to give thanks for what we have

Looking to the future – Looking forward to the promise of a new year

Matariki is an abbreviation of ‘Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea’ (‘The Eyes of the God Tāwhirimātea’) and refers to a large cluster of stars, also known as the Pleiades. The predawn rising of Matariki in the mid-winter sky marks the changing of the seasons and the beginning of the Māori New Year. Some iwi recognise this time of year by the appearance of Puanga, also known as Rigel. There are also regions where the setting of Rehua, also known as Antares, is used to identify the change of seasons.