Matariki: The Māori New Year Matariki: Te Tau Hou Māori

Matariki is a time to gather with family and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

Here you can learn all about the Māori New Year and the Maramataka.

What is Matariki?

What is Matariki?

Matariki signals the Māori New Year. It is a time of renewal and celebration in New Zealand that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster.
Matariki star facts

Matariki star facts

Get the facts about Matariki – a star cluster known worldwide and treasured in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Matariki star cluster – are there seven or nine stars?

The Matariki star cluster – are there seven or nine stars?

For some people the Matariki star cluster is made up of seven stars, while for others it’s nine. So which is it? Both.
How to use the Maramataka | Māori lunar calendar

How to use the Maramataka | Māori lunar calendar

Print a Maramataka dial, explore its energy levels, and use it to plan activities with your whānau.
Watch: How to find the Matariki star cluster

Watch: How to find the Matariki star cluster

Educator Martin Langdon shows us how to find the Matariki star cluster during the Māori New Year, which falls in the month of Pipiri (June–July).
Matariki activity book

Matariki activity book

Learn about Matariki through fun kids' activities. Featuring word searches, colouring pages, games, and stories.
Uncle Pare’s kai: Matariki recipes and kōrero

Uncle Pare’s kai: Matariki recipes and kōrero

Uncle Pare’s earliest kai memory is parāoa koroua cooked on hot embers. Watch his simple recipe as he describes how kai has shaped his life.
Matariki making memories teaching resource

Matariki making memories teaching resource

Use this guide to learn ten ways to create your own digital keepsakes to celebrate Matariki this year, and in the future.
Quiz: How much do you know about Matariki and the Maramataka?

Quiz: How much do you know about Matariki and the Maramataka?

Have a read through our online Matariki and Maramataka information before testing your knowledge on the Māori New Year and traditional lunar calendar.
Celebrate Matariki with these whakataukī

Celebrate Matariki with these whakataukī

Matariki is a time to reflect, share stories, and plan for the New Year. It’s the perfect time to connect with whakataukī (proverbs) and learn from the wisdom of those who came before us.
Songs that celebrate Matariki
Songs that celebrate Matariki

Enjoy these three waiata (songs) that celebrate Matariki and learn a little about the background and meaning of each song.
How to celebrate Matariki at home

How to celebrate Matariki at home

Read some tips on how you can easily celebrate Matariki at home with your friends and whānau.
Listen: Matariki and Māori astronomy with Dr Rangi Matamua

Listen: Matariki and Māori astronomy with Dr Rangi Matamua

Associate Professor Dr Rangi Matamua from the University of Waikato, has spent over 20 years researching Matariki. In this podcast he shares a Māori perspective of astronomical and cosmological links relevant to Matariki.
The legend of Matariki and the six sisters

The legend of Matariki and the six sisters

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.
Matariki waiata (song)

Matariki waiata (song)

Sing this Matariki waiata (song) with your tamariki (kids) and learn the names of the seven Matariki stars.
Watch: The Star Family of Matariki story

Watch: The Star Family of Matariki story

Hear Te Waari Carkeek, from Ngāti Toa Rangatira iwi, tell the story of how the seven Matariki stars use their special talents and skills to help their kuia, Papatūānuku (the earth), prepare for the new year.
The difference between Puanga and Matariki

The difference between Puanga and Matariki

Some iwi celebrate Puanga rather than Matariki. Che Wilson of Whanganui iwi explains why this is the case, and which iwi celebrate Puanga.
Listen: Mātauranga Māori knowledge and science panel discussion

Listen: Mātauranga Māori knowledge and science panel discussion

Māori and non-Māori practitioners discuss how our understanding of the world has developed differently in different cultures.
What is the Maramataka | the Māori lunar calendar?

What is the Maramataka | the Māori lunar calendar?

The Māori calendar begins in Pipiri (June/July) with the reappearance of the Matariki star cluster signalling the New Year. Learn the names of the months and nights in the traditional Maramataka.
Months of the Maramataka | the Māori lunar calendar

Months of the Maramataka | the Māori lunar calendar

In the traditional Māori Maramataka, or lunar calendar, the new year begins with the first new moon following the appearance of Matariki (Pleiades) on the eastern horizon. Usually this takes place in the period June-July.
Nights in the Maramataka | the Māori lunar month

Nights in the Maramataka | the Māori lunar month

Discover the nights in the Māori lunar month, and the activities related to them.
Matariki for teachers

Matariki for teachers

Book a Matariki education visit for your ECE or primary students, and download Matariki and Maramataka teaching resources to use in your classroom.
Watch: Highlights from Taikura Kapa Haka

Watch: Highlights from Taikura Kapa Haka

Taikura Kapa Haka is a celebration of haka and waiata, presented by senior Māori performing artists from around Aotearoa New Zealand. In this highlights package, a member from each group introduces their favourite performance.
Watch: Taikura Kapa Haka 2021
Watch: Taikura Kapa Haka 2021

Watch each Taikura Kapa Haka group as they perform within their own rohe, as well as interviews with members of that group about their experiences within Taikura Kapa Haka and what this means to them in 2021.
Watch: Taikura Kapa Haka 2019

Watch: Taikura Kapa Haka 2019

A celebration of haka and waiata, presented by senior Māori performing artists from around Aotearoa New Zealand. Sat 22 – Sun 23 Jun 2019
Watch: Taikura Kapa Haka 2018

Watch: Taikura Kapa Haka 2018

Performed in June 2018 – A celebration of haka and waiata, presented by senior Māori performing artists from around Aotearoa New Zealand.
Watch: Kaumātua Kapa Haka 2017

Watch: Kaumātua Kapa Haka 2017

On the 24 and 25 June we welcomed 500 Māori elders from around the country for the Kaumātua Kapa Haka – the finale to our Matariki Festival.
Watch: Te Papa’s 2017 Matariki Ritual

Watch: Te Papa’s 2017 Matariki Ritual

On Fri 16 Jun 2017 Te Papa held its first Matariki Ritual which marked the beginning of the Matariki Rising Festival. People from around Aotearoa, and the globe, came together to share stories, celebrate life, and remember those who passed in the last year.