Matariki Day

On the last day of the term 2 at Auroa School we had a Matariki Day. Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters;  and what is referred to as the traditional Maori New Year.

The Maori new year is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon. The pre-dawn rise of Matariki can be seen in the last few days of May every year and the new year is marked at the sighting of the next new moon which occurs during June.

Matariki has two meanings, both referring to a tiny constellation of stars; Mata Riki (Tiny Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God).

Why Matariki is important is that traditionally, depending on the visibility of Matariki, the coming season's crop was thought to be determined. The brighter the stars indicated the warmer the season would be and that would mean a more productive crop. It was also seen as an important time for family to gather and reflect on the past and the future. 

Today Matariki means celebrating the unique place in which we live and giving respect to the land we live on.

There are many ways to celebrate Matariki so the 4 whanau groups split up to did different activities that is a way to celebrate Matariki. I am in the Haua Piko whanau and we did Maori Bone Carving and did different designs that represented different things. The day was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again.