| Matariki | |
|---|---|
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| Observed by | Māori people, New Zealand |
| Type | Cultural |
| Significance | Heliacal rising of the Pleiades star cluster (Māori: Matariki), signalling the Māori new year. |
| Celebrations | Some hold dawn ceremonies and/or lay a hāngī |
| Date | June to July (varies) |
| 2023 date | 14 July |
| 2024 date | 28 June |
| 2025 date | 20 June |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | June 28 |
In Māori culture, Matariki is the Pleiades star cluster and a celebration of its first rising in late June or early July. The rising marks the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar.
Historically, Matariki was usually celebrated for a period of days during the last quarter of the moon of the lunar month Pipiri (around June). The ceremony involved viewing the individual stars for forecasts of the year to come, mourning the deceased of the past year, and making an offering of food to replenish the stars. Some Māori use the rise of Puanga (Rigel) or other stars to mark the new year.
Celebration of Matariki declined during the 20th century, but beginning in the early 1990s it underwent a revival. Matariki was first celebrated as an official public holiday in New Zealand on 24 June 2022.