Twinkling in the winter
sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades) signals the Māori New Year.
Traditionally, it was a time for remembering the dead, and celebrating new
life. In the 21st century, observing Matariki has become popular again.
Heaven-bound kites, hot-air balloons and fireworks help mark the occasion.
Matariki
is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises
in mid-winter – late May or early June. For many Māori, it heralds the start of
a new year.
Matariki
literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). According to myth,
when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother, were
separated by their children, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became so
angry that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.
Traditionally,
Matariki was a time to remember those who had died in the last year. But it was
also a happy event – crops had been harvested and seafood and birds had been
collected. With plenty of food in the storehouses, Matariki was a time for
singing, dancing and feasting.
Matariki,
or Māori New Year celebrations were once popular, but stopped in the 1940s. In
2000, they were revived. Only a few people took part at first, but in just a
few years thousands were honouring the ‘New Zealand Thanksgiving’. A special
feature of Matariki celebrations is the flying of kites – according to ancient
custom they flutter close to the stars.
Information
from www.teara.govt.nz
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