Matariki in Taupō: A time to reflect and celebrate

Traditionally, Matariki was a time to acknowledge the dead and to release their spirits to become stars. Photo / Getty Images

Unlike other public holidays based on religion or conflict, Matariki is a time to reflect on and celebrate the previous year.

Tomorrow, for the first time, Matariki will be recognised with a national public holiday.

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in midwinter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year. Iwi throughout New Zealand understand and celebrate Matariki in different ways and at different times.

Taupō's Snow Rameka (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) says the event being made a public holiday has been a long time coming.

"It's not just a New Zealand thing, it's an international phenomenon. For example, in Greece they call this same cluster of stars the Pleiades Constellation and in Japan they call it Subaru. For many years we've been looking at Subaru cars with the badge with six stars on it and it has never really resonated with people because it hasn't been normalised or been made part of our culture yet.

"Māori and Polynesian people have been doing this for centuries. This holiday will be the first holiday we have that doesn't have a connection to conflict, like Anzac, or a religious connection like Easter or Christmas.

"Sometimes the meaning of holidays get lost in translation and this one, there are no negative connotations to this. It's all about the rise of civilisation, it's about survival and it's about wayfinding. We all had to navigate from somewhere to somewhere else, and we all developed the skills of using the stars at some point."

Traditionally, Matariki is a time to acknowledge the dead and to release their spirits to become stars. It is also a time to reflect, to be thankful to the gods for the harvest, to feast and to share the bounty of the harvest with family and friends.

Snow says those wanting to make the most of Matariki this week should focus on reflecting on the year that has been, celebrating the present and looking to the future.

"It is a time to reflect on the last year only, we reflect from one cycle to the next. You think about those you have lost, what you have learned and how you can take those learnings into the future.

"After reflection you go onto celebration which is all about food, dance, playing games, flying kites, all those sorts of things. Matariki is like a reset button and hoping to do things better in the next year.

"Each star gives you something to think about and move towards. For example, Tupuānuku is the star that relates to the food growing in the ground and he's telling you that you need to get your soil prepared, start putting some nutrients into it, so when spring comes you are ready to start putting your kai in the ground.

"Tupuārangi is the star linked with food that comes from the skies like fruits, berries, and birds."

The other stars in the cluster are:
• Matariki: the star that signifies wellbeing, reflection, hope and the gathering of people; considered to be a female star that is the guardian of the other stars in the cluster. The name Matariki denotes both this individual star and the whole cluster.

• Waitī: the star linked with freshwater and food that comes from freshwater.

• Waitā: the star linked with the ocean and food that comes from it.

• Waipunarangi: the star linked with the rain.

• Ururangi: the star that determines the winds for the year.

• Pōhutukawa: the star associated with those who have died.

• Hiwa-i-te-rangi: the star associated with dreams and aspirations for the coming year.

Snow says all Kiwis should make the most of this public holiday and enjoy one another's company, perhaps creating new traditions for Matariki in the future.

"There's nothing negative. This is a time to celebrate with whānau and loved ones. Matariki brings everything positive about planning for the future, reflecting on the past and hoping for the best for your family and friends."

How to find the Matariki stars in Taupō

Snow says the Matariki cluster of stars is generally found to the northeast. Generally, in Taupō, that means you first look towards Mt Tauhara.

"Straight above Mt Tauhara, you will see the constellation we know as the Pot. See the Pot, count three fists to the left and you will see another group of stars in a V shape, that is actually Taurus.

"Two more fists, to the left of Taurus, if you look hard and it's clear, you will see Matariki. By Friday, if conditions are right, it will be visible and the best time to see it is about 5.30am."