matariki

What is matariki?

• Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades star cluster
• It appears in May or June
• It signifies the start of the Maori New Year
• It is celebrated nationwide
• The stars represent the eyes of the gods

SOME FACTS...

• It was reclaimed in 2001 by The Maori Language Commission 
• There were plans to make it a national holiday in 2009 
• It means the 'eyes of the god' or 'little eyes 
• It is sometimes known as the 'New Zealand Thanksgiving'
• Matariki celebrations were once popular, but stopped in the 1940s.h