Why Is It Important To Celebrate Matariki

Why Is It Important To Celebrate Matariki

What is matariki?

Matariki is a maori new year celebrated by the maoris from the tiny country of new zealand .

Matariki is the maori name for the clusters of stars called pleiades it rises in the mid winter, for new zealander the maori new year.

How did our tupuna celebrate matariki ?

Traditionally Matariki was celebrated by gathering with family,telling stories from the past and  harvesting with friends and family also celebrating their culture with the rest of the community to remember their whakapapa and people that have past on .

Where do we find the seven sisters of matariki ?

From early June, before sunrise, look to the north-east horizon. Find the constellation Tautoru, or Orion’s belt (sometimes called ‘the pot’). Trace a line northwards from the three stars of Tautoru. Look for a faint sparkle of tiny dots, about the same width as Tautoru is long. This is the Matariki star cluster. Matatiki can also be seen during the summer months in this location of the sky after sunset.

How do we celebrate matariki now ?

Traditionally Matariki was celebrated by gathering with whanau (family) and reflecting on the past. The festival’s connection to the stars provided an opportunity for families to remember their whakapapa (genealogy) and those ancestors who had passed away to the heavens. Offerings were made to land-based gods who would help provide good crops, and new trees were planted to signal new beginnings.

Why is it important to celebrate matariki ?

Matariki was thought to haverst your crop for the coming season, and therefore it was important to recognise the part it played in nature’s cycle. The disappearance of Matariki in Autumn, signaled the time to gather and preserve crops, and so was an important marker in the harvest calendar.