Today is the Matariki Holiday. I thought it was an interesting fact to write about it. For those who don’t know what it means, here is the explanation.
Ngā mihi o Matariki (means Happy Matariki). – Happy New Year!
New Zealand has made the Matariki holiday official for the first time this year, 2022.
As I said in my previous blogs, New Zealand has been incorporating the Māori culture into their daily lives for the last 30 years or so. I think this is an amazing contribution to the New Zealanders and the whole world. I think every culture has something unique, and learning and participating in it just makes us more aware of how the world is so full of incredible stories, rich cultures, and traditions.
Māori calls Matariki a star cluster that appears in the New Zealand sky. This happens during the mid-winter months, which is June 24th. It’s a mid-winter celebration on the first full moon after the cluster rises or on the next new moon in the Southern Hemisphere.
This celebration is a reminder of reflection, hope, and connection to the environment. To gather people and celebrate the Māori New Year. This is a day for sharing food, telling stories, playing music, and dancing. It is also to celebrate and remember our loved ones who died. It sounds to me like a great day to celebrate in these cold days of June.
This group of stars is also known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. I do not know about astrology, but If you look at the sky, you can spot these shiny stars.
For us, this day was celebrated in our cozy home because it’s been cold lately. We stayed home, enjoying the company of each other and the company of Smokey and Mary Jane with good food and hot tea!
“Matariki Hunga, Matariki ahunga nui”
(Matariki has many admires, Matariki brings us together”
Ngā mihi o Matariki (means Happy Matariki)