Matariki: Maori New Year - Pleiades Rising, Ancestor Commemoration, Harvest Celebration & New Year Planning

BY NICOLE LAU

Matariki is the Māori New Year, celebrated when the Pleiades star cluster (Matariki in Māori) rises in the pre-dawn sky in mid-winter (late May to early July in New Zealand). This sacred time marks the end of one year and the beginning of another, featuring ceremonies to honor ancestors, celebrate the harvest, share kai (food) in communal feasts, fly kites, sing waiata (songs), and plan for the coming year. Matariki represents Māori understanding that time is cyclical and governed by celestial movements, that the Pleiades are ancestral stars deserving reverence, that honoring the dead and celebrating the living are inseparable, that harvest gratitude and future planning must occur together, and that the new year is time for reflection, renewal, and reconnection with whānau (family), whenua (land), and whakapapa (genealogy). The celebration demonstrates how Indigenous astronomical knowledge guides cultural practice, how colonized traditions can be revitalized and reclaimed, and how Matariki has evolved from suppressed custom to national public holiday in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Pleiades: Matariki and Her Sisters

Matariki refers both to the Pleiades star cluster and to the specific star Alcyone within it. In Māori tradition, Matariki is the mother surrounded by her six daughters (though some iwi/tribes recognize seven or nine stars). The rising of Matariki in the pre-dawn sky signals the Māori New Year, the time when the old year has ended and the new year begins. The stars' visibility and brightness are read as omens—bright, clear stars predict abundant harvest and prosperous year, while dim or hazy stars suggest hardship ahead.

The Pleiades demonstrate that Māori cosmology is fundamentally astronomical, that celestial bodies are not mere objects but ancestors and guides, and that careful observation of the sky provides practical information for agriculture and navigation as well as spiritual significance.

The Story of Matariki

Māori tradition tells that Matariki and her daughters were placed in the sky by Tāwhirimātea (god of wind and storms) after the separation of Ranginui (Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (Earth Mother). The stars represent the connection between earth and sky, the ongoing relationship between separated parents, and the role of celestial beings in mediating cosmic forces. This demonstrates that Māori cosmology understands the universe as relational, that separation and connection are ongoing dynamics, and that stars carry genealogical and spiritual significance.

Honoring Ancestors: Remembering the Dead

Matariki is sacred time for honoring tupuna (ancestors) who have died during the past year. Families gather to remember the deceased, share stories, weep, and celebrate their lives. This commemoration demonstrates that death does not sever connection, that ancestors remain part of the whānau, and that the new year should begin with acknowledging those who have passed and ensuring their memory endures.

The ancestor commemoration also demonstrates that Māori spirituality integrates past, present, and future—honoring those who came before while planning for those who will come after, understanding that the living are links in an unbroken chain of whakapapa (genealogy) connecting ancestors to descendants.

Harvest Celebration and Gratitude

Matariki marks the end of the harvest season, making it time for gratitude and celebration of Papatūānuku's (Earth Mother's) abundance. The first crops—particularly kūmara (sweet potato), a staple food—are harvested and offered in ceremony before being consumed. Communal feasts (hakari) feature traditional kai, demonstrating that food is sacred gift, that consumption should be preceded by gratitude, and that abundance should be shared communally.

The harvest celebration demonstrates that Māori spirituality is fundamentally ecological and agricultural, that right relationship with the land requires gratitude and reciprocity, and that the new year begins by acknowledging what the earth has provided.

Kūmara and Agricultural Cycles

The kūmara (sweet potato) is central to Māori agriculture and culture, brought by Polynesian ancestors during the great migrations. Matariki's timing aligns with kūmara harvest, demonstrating sophisticated understanding of seasonal cycles and the integration of astronomy, agriculture, and spirituality. The kūmara represents ancestral knowledge, the success of Polynesian navigation and settlement, and the ongoing relationship between Māori and the land.

Planning for the Future

Matariki is not only time for reflection on the past year but also for planning the coming year. Families and communities discuss goals, make resolutions, and strategize for future success. This forward-looking dimension demonstrates that Māori understanding of time integrates past, present, and future, that the new year is opportunity for renewal and fresh starts, and that planning requires collective discussion and consensus.

The planning aspect also demonstrates that Matariki serves practical purposes—determining when to plant crops, when to fish, when to gather resources—based on astronomical observation and accumulated knowledge of seasonal patterns.

Kite Flying: Reaching the Sky

A distinctive Matariki tradition is flying kites (manu tukutuku), which serve multiple purposes: they are offerings to the sky, they demonstrate connection between earth and heavens, they provide entertainment and competition, and they symbolize aspirations rising toward the stars. The kites are often elaborately decorated with traditional patterns and colors, demonstrating that even playful activities carry cultural and spiritual significance.

The kite flying demonstrates that Māori spirituality includes joy and play, that reaching toward the sky is both literal and metaphorical aspiration, and that traditional practices adapt to include elements of fun and community bonding.

Waiata and Storytelling

Matariki celebrations feature waiata (songs) and storytelling, transmitting traditional knowledge, histories, and values to younger generations. These performances are not entertainment but educational and spiritual practice, ensuring that language, stories, and cultural knowledge continue. The waiata often recount creation stories, ancestral deeds, and the significance of Matariki itself.

The emphasis on waiata and storytelling demonstrates that Māori culture is oral, that knowledge is transmitted through performance and repetition, and that cultural survival requires active teaching and learning.

Colonial Suppression and Revitalization

Like many Indigenous practices, Matariki was suppressed during colonization. Māori were pressured to adopt European calendar and Christian holidays, and traditional practices were discouraged or banned. Matariki observance declined, particularly in urban areas and among younger generations disconnected from traditional knowledge.

However, beginning in the late 20th century, Māori cultural revitalization movements reclaimed Matariki, teaching its significance, organizing public celebrations, and advocating for official recognition. In 2022, Matariki became a national public holiday in New Zealand, demonstrating successful Indigenous advocacy, the power of cultural revival, and growing recognition of Māori culture as central to New Zealand identity.

From Suppression to National Holiday

The journey from suppressed tradition to national public holiday demonstrates Māori resilience, the effectiveness of cultural activism, and changing attitudes toward Indigenous cultures in settler colonial societies. The holiday's establishment also raises questions about authenticity, commercialization, and whether state recognition honors or appropriates Indigenous practices.

Contemporary Celebrations

Today, Matariki is celebrated across New Zealand with public events, school programs, community gatherings, and family observances. Celebrations range from traditional ceremonies led by kaumātua (elders) to contemporary festivals featuring Māori music, art, and food. The diversity of celebrations demonstrates that Matariki serves multiple communities and purposes—cultural preservation for Māori, educational opportunity for non-Māori, and national celebration of New Zealand's bicultural identity.

Lessons from Matariki

Matariki teaches that the Māori New Year is governed by the rising of the Pleiades star cluster, demonstrating sophisticated astronomical knowledge, that Matariki is sacred time for honoring ancestors who died during the past year, that harvest celebration and gratitude to Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) mark the year's end, that planning for the coming year integrates reflection on the past with aspirations for the future, that kite flying connects earth and sky, symbolizing aspirations rising toward the stars, that waiata and storytelling transmit cultural knowledge to younger generations, and that Matariki's evolution from suppressed tradition to national public holiday demonstrates Māori cultural resilience and successful advocacy for Indigenous recognition.

In recognizing Matariki, we encounter the Māori New Year, when the Pleiades rise in the pre-dawn winter sky, when families gather to remember tupuna who have passed, when the kūmara harvest is celebrated with gratitude and communal feasts, when kites soar toward the stars carrying aspirations and offerings, when waiata are sung and stories told, when the past year is reflected upon and the coming year is planned, and where Māori tradition demonstrates that Matariki is both ancient astronomical practice and contemporary cultural celebration, that the stars guide not just navigation but the rhythm of life, and that the Māori New Year—once suppressed, now a national holiday—proves that Indigenous cultures can be revitalized, that traditional knowledge remains relevant, and that honoring ancestors, celebrating harvest, and planning for the future are inseparable dimensions of welcoming the new year under Matariki's watchful stars.