How long has matariki been celebrated

Some people celebrate the New Year on the day the new moon rises, and others celebrate on the day after the new moon. Celebrations can last for up to 3 days. The modern option for the Maori New Year is to pick a day between the new and full moons, and this has become the more traditional date.

Yes, Matariki is a public holiday in New Zealand. The date for the Matariki public holiday will change each year, as the dates for Matariki rising change. But the holiday, itself, will always be celebrated on either a Monday or a Friday.

Educator Martin Langdon, on behalf of Te Papa Museum shows us how to find the Matariki star cluster in this awesome short video:. The disappearance of Matariki in Autumn, signals the time to gather and preserve crops. So this was an important marker in the harvest calendar. This celebration coincided with the reappearance of Matariki. Divine Matariki come forth from the far-off heaven, Bestow the first fruits of the year upon us. If the stars were clear and bright, it was a sign that a favourable and productive season lay ahead, and planting would begin in September.

If the stars appeared hazy and closely bunched together, a cold winter was in store and planting was put off until October. Nowadays, Matariki is still seen as an important time to celebrate the earth, and show respect for the land on which we live. Traditionally Matariki was celebrated by gathering with whanau family and reflecting on the past.

Offerings were made to land-based gods who would help provide good crops, and new trees were planted to signal new beginnings. Many of these traditional celebrations are still practiced today, however there are many others ways that Matariki is celebrated also. Most celebrations focus around music, song, dance, food and family, and celebrations can last up to 3 days. Some common events and activities include:. You might also be interested in this collection of New Zealand television content focused around Matariki.

Or you can check out our Matariki events and activities around New Zealand — page. There are lots of ways you can celebrate Matariki with your family, and in doing so, start your own family traditions.

Some ideas to get you started include:. Make Matariki a time when the whole family gets together to feast and give thanks. Our star-shaped sugar cookies will go down well for desert. Use Matariki as a time to clear the winter vegetables, and prepare your vegetable garden for the new planting. It could become a family tradition to do the gardening altogether — at least for one day of the year. Contact your local Department of Conservation to find out if there are any regeneration projects happening in your area.

Organise to plant a tree on Matariki, or better still, get together with a group of friends and plant several. Spend a night sleeping under the stars or under a tent! You may want to talk about family memories, or create goals for the coming lunar year. Most of us create New Years resolutions in January, but by the time June rolls around they are long forgotten. Why not use Matariki as a time to renew your resolutions.

For more great ideas on how to spend Matariki with your friends and family, check out our Fresh ideas for celebrating Matariki with your Family. Check out this article for a great range of Matariki craft ideas to do with your kids. Or try out our simple Matariki and the Southern Lights art project. Get baking with our star-shaped sugar cookie recipe, or check out our Matariki events and activities around New Zealand page.

Or find out some Fresh ideas for celebrating Matariki. Here, we celebrate Matariki and International New Year. There are Matariki celebrations happening all around Aotearoa this year. In Auckland, Matariki Festival runs from 19 June to 11 July, and includes events from a dawn karakia to commemorate those who have passed, to DIY poi-making workshops.

Matariki Wellington is hosting a range of events and exhibitions, including a modern hangi in the Wellington Botanic Gardens and a waterfront exhibition featuring works inspired by Matariki from 10 artists. In Christchurch, the Arts Centre is hosting harakeke weaving workshops, movie screenings and artist talks, as well as a fireworks display in New Brighton on 10 July.

When seen from Earth, the stars in a constellation appear to be close together in a pattern, but they may be a long way from each other. There are about stars in the Matariki cluster, but only six or seven are visible without a telescope. Some iwi speak of the seven Matariki stars as a mother and her daughters. Others have named nine stars, including Matariki.

Traditionally, Matariki was a time to remember those who had died in the last year. But it was also a happy event — crops had been harvested and seafood and birds had been collected. With plenty of food in the storehouses, Matariki was a time for singing, dancing and feasting. In the past, tohunga priests or experts looked to Matariki to predict the success of the next harvest. The brighter and clearer the stars seemed, the warmer the growing season would be, ensuring a good harvest.

Long distance waka voyages were not done in winter. Matariki rises in the night sky in mid-winter so Matariki was not used for navigation. Today, there is a revival of these traditional navigation skills.

If you drove there in a car at a speed of kilometres an hour, you would arrive in 4. The star cluster is visible to the naked eye from most parts of our planet, and has many different names. Learn about the difference between Matariki and Puanga. Astronomers explain Puanga and Matarik i. The brighter and clearer the stars seemed, the warmer the growing season would be, ensuring a good harvest. Find out more about the names of the stars — the six sisters.

He tore out his eyes in anger and threw them into the sky — the stars are his seven eyes. Today, there is a revival of these traditional navigation skills.