Before dawn today an umu [earth oven] will be opened and the steam from the food within will rise to feed Matariki.
Te whāngai i ngā whetū (feeding the stars) is a traditional practice to celebrate Matariki - the Māori new year.
Traditionally the umu kohukohu whetū, a traditional oven, will contain four items, related to four of the stars in the constellation. To represent Tupuānuku, it contains something from the earth like kūmara, to represent Tupuārangi, it contains something from the sky like chicken, to represent Waitī, it contains something from freshwater like tuna or watercress, and to represent Waitā, it contains something from the ocean like fish.
Opening the oven to feed the stars is the third step in the Matariki celebrations and is preceded by the viewing of the stars and remembering the dead by calling their names in the presence of Matariki.
Ngāti Whakaue representative Kingi Biddle, who helped run Rotorua's celebrations, encouraged people to go to any celebrations "with a learning heart".
Biddle said Matariki had a very practical role in the calendar as a time of preparation.
"It is a manual for the rest of the year, a manual for life.
"But you have to go into it with new eyes. If you look at Matariki with the eyes you've been using since you were born, you won't see anything differently."
Biddle said Matariki offered at least two important lessons.
"Firstly, we need to pay more attention to the environment. It's not just something for us to build houses on.
"Secondly, we are not at the top of the chain. We're a part of it."
Official celebrations aren't the only way to mark Matariki. Biddle said it could be as simple as spending time with family or grieving lost loved ones.
Biddle said he wanted everyone to know Matariki was an "equal opportunity" celebration.
Tauranga born tangata whenua Matire Duncan, chair of Te Rangapū Mana Whenua o Tauranga Moana, said her family celebrates Matariki by coming together to "relax and...start reflecting on what happened in the last few years".
She said they also acknowledge "the ones that have passed on" and give thanks for food.
She said the family meal usually centres around seafood - while life was often too busy to gather it herself these days, she had fond memories of doing so as a child, particularly collecting shellfish.
She said it was "absolutely awesome" that Matariki was a public holiday this year as "an acknowledgement to our culture".
"It's not just a Māori thing, I think it should be a whole city gathering and community acknowledgement...it's a celebration, really.
"The stars are aligned."
For those celebrating Matariki for the first time, Duncan encouraged them to focus on "sharing and acknowledging each other" over food and memories, and to celebrate "in goodwill and good faith".
"Times have been hard during Covid, and it's been a bit difficult for people to actually get back to the norm. So I think it's really [about] just...looking at each other and just making sure that people out there are okay."
Rotorua kaumatua Monty Morrison also saw Matariki weekend primarily as an opportunity to be with family.
"In the spirit of Matariki we will go to the urupa and spend some time there in reflection with those in the family we've lost."
Morrison said he thought the move to establish Matariki as a national public holiday was a "great" one and he was pleased young people would have more opportunities to learn about Matariki from education and media programmes.
"I was at the Te Arawa landing site early [on Tuesday morning] there were a number of young children there.
"It was a tremendous time to come together in the still of the morning, watching the sunrise, a fantastic start to Matariki week."
READ MORE:
• Rotorua to celebrate Matariki with umu kohukohu whetū
• Matariki celebrations to be held on shores of Lake Rotorua
• Abundance of events coming up to celebrate Matariki
Rotorua-raised Arohanui West said she had fond memories of attending Matariki events at Te Puia as a kid.
As she got older, West said she and her friends put their own efforts into celebrating the new year.
"When I was 17 I climbed up Mauao with my friends at 5am to see the Matariki cluster and it was so special."
West said she had always seen Matariki as a time to set her intentions for the year ahead and reflect on what's passed.
What can you do to celebrate Matariki at home?
• Get up early and head outside to view Matariki before sunrise
• Take time to remember loved ones who are no longer with us
• Give thanks for the year that has passed
• Plan for the next year
• Spend time with family and friends
• Have a matariki feast
• Plan to grow a garden
• Write down your wishes for the year
Source: Living by the Stars
