Matariki

About Matariki

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Dates of Matariki
2026 New ZealandJul 10 New Zealand Fri, Jul 10Observances Holiday 2025 New ZealandJun 20 New Zealand Fri, Jun 20Observances Holiday 2024 New ZealandJun 28 New Zealand Fri, Jun 28Observances Holiday 2023 New ZealandJul 14 New Zealand Fri, Jul 14Observances Holiday 2022 New ZealandJun 24 New Zealand Fri, Jun 24Observances Holiday
Summary
Matariki is named after the bright stars of the Pleiades star cluster, which rises in the winter night sky each year.

Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster. It rises during Pipiri (June/July) and marks the beginning of the Māori new year. The word is an abbreviation of Ngā Mata o te Ariki (Eyes of God) in reference to Tāwhirimātea, god of the wind and weather. In the story of creation, Tāne Mahuta (god of the forest) separated his parents Ranginui and Papatūānuku, and his brother Tāwhirimātea got upset and tore out his eyes, crushed them into pieces and thew them into the sky.

Traditionally, Maori iwi, or communities, would gather together at night during a time of the constellation's prominence, making use of the period between harvests to celebrate and make offerings for a bountiful future.

When Matariki disappeared in April/May, it was time to preserve crops for the winter season. When it re-appeared in June/July its appearance was said to predict the success of the season ahead; clear bright stars are a good omen and hazy stars predict a cold, harsh winter. The brightness of each individual star predicts the fortunes of a specific thing that star represents, such as the wind or food that grows in trees.

All events on July 10th 2026