How is Matariki celebrated?

How was Matariki celebrated? Traditionally Matariki was celebrated by gathering with whanau (family) and reflecting on the past. The festival’s connection to the stars provided an opportunity for families to remember their whakapapa (genealogy) and those ancestors who had passed away to the heavens.

What do we do on Matariki?

Matariki is traditionally a time to get together to share kai harvested from past seasons. Cook a mid-winter feast for friends and whānau using traditional Māori vegetables such as kumara, kamo kamo, taro, puha and uwhi. There are many other delicious foods you could cook as well.

What is the story of Matariki?

In Maori, Matariki means ‘tiny eyes’ or ‘eyes of God’. The children of the earth mother Papatuanuku and sky father, Ranginui, were divided over whether to separate them and bring light and life to the earth. Eventually, Tane Mahuta, the god of the forest, laid on his back and used his feet to force them apart.

What is Matariki a time for?

Matariki is the time when Maori celebrate the end of the harvest with its bounty and the beginning of a New Year. It is especially a time to celebrate and think about whānau.

What food is eaten during Matariki?

Matariki feasting The typical modern hangi includes lamb and pork, but traditional foods are also likely to feature on the menu – shellfish, seafood, vegetables, plants and herbs gathered from the forest.

What do Matariki people eat?

Traditional vegetables include Kūmara, Taewa (Māori potatoes), Kamo Kamo, Taro, Puha (similar to cabbage) and Uwhi (yam). These vegetables can be used in combination with other ingredients to make delicious and healthy meals for whānau and friends. Matariki was a time to learn about the natural world.

Is Matariki a God?

Matariki is a shortened version of Ngā mata o te ariki o Tāwhirimātea, or “the eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea”. According to Māori mythology, Tāwhirimātea, god of wind and weather, was enraged by the separation of heaven and earth – his parents, Ranginui and Papatūānuku.

Is Matariki a legend?

There are many legends about the star cluster Matariki. One of the most popular is that the star Matariki is the whaea (mother), surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waipunarangi, Waitī and Waitā, and Ururangi.

What is the best time to see Matariki?

Matariki is found low on the horizon in the northeast of the sky. Try looking there between 5.30am-6.30am.

Why is Matariki so important?

Traditionally, Matariki was used to determine the coming season’s crop. A warmer season, and therefore a more productive crop yield, was indicated by how bright the stars were. Matariki provides an ideal opportunity to explore the ways that people pass on and sustain aspects of their culture and heritage.

Why was there a lot of food to eat at Matariki?

It was a traditional time to give thanks for the food that had been harvested in the preceding season. There was a great deal of mana associated with being able to offer guests what had been harvested and collected, the word ‘manaakitanga’ (hospitality) is related to this.

Why do we fly kites at Matariki?

Kites have always played an important role in Māori culture, particularly during the winter season when they were flown to signify the start of Matariki, the Māori New Year. Māori flew kites for recreation, but also to communicate, measure the likelihood of a successful enemy attack, or to find offenders.

Who is Matariki important for?

How long is Matariki visible for?

There is one time every year it is not visible at all, after which the festival of Matariki is celebrated, when we can just see it rising at dawn. This happens at the same time every year, however the Matariki festival is anytime from the beginning to the end of June.

What is special about Matariki?

Matariki is a special occasion in the New Zealand calendar which marks the start of the Māori New Year. Signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in our night sky, this is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead.

Does Matariki have 7 or 9 stars?

The nine stars of Matariki It is another common misconception that Matariki is seven sisters. There are nine stars in the Greek tradition of the constellation: seven children and their parents. In the Māori tradition, there are also nine stars: Matariki (Alcyone) – the mother of the other stars in the constellation.

Why do we celebrate Matariki in New Zealand?

Matariki is our very own Maori New Year, and is strongly associated with the celebration of harvest, of gifting food, and planning or preparing the ground for the new year’s crops. The appearance of the Matariki star cluster signals a time to start planning and preparing for the spring garden while your garden is at its most dormant in winter.

Why did the Matariki make offerings to the gods?

Offerings of the produce of the land were made to the gods, including Rongo, god of cultivated food. This time of the year was also a good time to instruct young people in the lore of the land and the forest.

How is the Matariki season determined by the stars?

Traditionally, depending on the visibility of Matariki, the coming season’s crop was thought to be determined. The brighter the stars, the warmer the season would be, bringing a more productive crop.

Which is the star that connects Matariki to the dead?

Pōhutukawa – connects Matariki to the dead and is the star that carries our dead across the year (Sterope/Asterope). Hiwaiterangi/Hiwa – is the youngest star in the cluster, the star you send your wishes to (Celaeno).