Small Glory #24 - New Year Celebrations in New Zealand (Matariki)
So much more than just a holiday.
I woke to the sky a mellow pink; a vast change from weeks of grey. And I stared out my window, feeling all the hope of a new year. Because today in Aotearoa New Zealand it is Matariki, the Māori New Year. This is traditionally a time for reflection and remembrance for those who have passed, and also a time to be thankful for the now and set intentions for the coming year.
Tirohia ake ngā whetu
Me ko Matariki e ārau ana
He tiki mai tahau i ngā mahara e kohi nei
Whakarerea ake e nā te roimata koua riringi
He puna wai kai aku kamo…
I gaze up to the stars
To the assembly of Matariki
Captured are my memories of you who have left me behind
Tears rippling
like springs in my eyes.(1)
Matariki is a small star cluster known as Pleiades in other parts of the world. It rises in our skies just before dawn in midwinter (yes, it’s winter here at the moment). Different iwi around the country celebrate at slightly different times, but the national public holiday is today (28th June - it changes a little each year). Children around New Zealand learn a song at school to help them remember the names of the stars. It is set to the tune of the Macarena.
There are many celebrations to attend - some are big festivals, others small gatherings between family and friends. We had a celebration at the high school I teach earlier in the week where we watched the kapa haka group perform and applauded students who had been demonstrating excellence. Today they are putting on a hāngī (a meal prepared in a traditional earth steam oven). The taste of hāngī is unique; quite smoky and earthy having been cooked underground. They are usually done at big events, however once we had in a friend’s backyard. We did dig a big hole in the grass!
I am going to sit down this evening and stare up at the stars, I am going to take out my journal and write. I’m going to write about the year just been, what I am grateful for, and where I want to head. I intend to reflect but hold a sense of momentum and hope to carry me forwards. Things have become clearer this year after starting my first full time job, mainly about what I want my life to look like. There are so many exciting things in this world and I can’t wait to meet them.
What are you grateful for and what intentions are you going to set for the year ahead?
By Mihikitekapua (Tūhoe, Ngāti Ruapani). Reproduced in Apirana Turupa Ngata, Ngā mōteatea: he maramara rere nō ngā waka maha, 4 vols, Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2004–7.
Mānawatia a Matariki!
I’m grateful for your writing as I learn about Aotearoa! This put me in just the right mindset as I celebrate my first Matariki and look forward to the year ahead.