08/06/2026
E whakatata mai a Matariki, te tohu o te huringa tau i te āo Māori ✨ Matariki is right around the corner as we near te tau hou Māori, e hoa mā! Now is the time to expand our kete mātauranga on this kaupapa and learn more about what Matariki really means.
The rising of Matariki marks the new year in Aotearoa during the winter months. It is a time for remembering loved ones who have passed, for celebration and gathering, and for preparing for the coming year. During this period, many whānau will be gathering together to observe its return in the early hours of the morning.
Te Iwa o Matariki refers to the nine stars in the Matariki cluster: Matariki, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-a-rangi, Ururangi, Hiwa-i-te-rangi, and Pōhutukawa. Each whetū has its own unique role and significance, providing signs that forecast the success of the upcoming season.
In Te Āo Māori, Matariki is one of many names for the Pleiades cluster and its brightest star, Alcyone. The name Matariki is associated with the pūrākau of Tāwhirimātea, who, in his rage towards his siblings for separating their parents, Papatūānuku and Ranginui, removed his eyes and threw the crushed shards into the sky. Thus came the name, Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea, from which Matariki is derived.
Mānawatia a Matariki!
