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Large range of resources from Te Papa

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

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Matariki is a time to gather with whānau

whānau family Māori and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

What and who is Matariki?

What and who is Matariki?

Learn about the stars of Matariki, watch a video showing you how to find the cluster, and test your knowledge in our quiz.

How to celebrate Matariki

How to celebrate Matariki

What to do during Matariki, a time to spend with your whānau, with waiata (songs), whakataukī (proverbs), and more.

Hautapu: the ceremonial oven and offerings to the stars

Hautapu: the ceremonial oven and offerings to the stars

All you need to know about the whāngai i te hautapu - the ceremonial offering to Matariki - including how to host your own.

Dates for the Matariki public holiday

Dates for the Matariki public holiday

The Matariki public holiday is based on the winter rising of the Matariki cluster in the early morning sky during the Tangaroa period of the lunar month of Pipiri.

Matariki education resources

Matariki education resources

Download Matariki and maramataka teaching resources to use in your classroom, or book a Matariki education visit for your ECE or primary students.

Matariki: regional variations

Matariki: regional variations

Matariki isn't universally observed, due to a variety of reasons - including the fact that the cluster is not visible to everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand. Learn about regional variations in marking te Mātahi o te Tau (the Māori new year).

Taikura Kapa Haka

Taikura Kapa Haka

Taikura Kapa Haka is an annual festival bringing together kaumātua from across the motu in celebration of the rich mātauranga and pūkenga held in our apārangi tūnohunohu.

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

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Ideas to share with whanau and friends

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

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The star cluster Matariki appears in our skies in the month of Pipiri (June-July), marking the start of the Māori New Year. This is the coldest time of the year and Pipiri means 'to draw close'.

It's a time to come together with your friends, whānau, and communities. It's about eating, reflecting, having fun, and looking forward to the year ahead.

1. Enjoy a mid-winter feast with friends and whānau

Traditionally, Matariki is a time to share kai from the pātaka, the storehouse, harvested from past seasons. It's too cold for planting, so it's a time to relax, eat, and enjoy good company.

2. Light a candle

Matariki is a time for reflection. Light a candle to remember loved ones who have passed away, or to farewell unwanted memories.

3. Write down your hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the year ahead

What do you want to achieve? What do you want to see? Record thoughts like these and return to them later - how did you do?

4. Go outside!

Look up at the stars (can you see Matariki?). Go for a walk in your neighbourhood and get to know its streams, rivers, and trees. Listen to the birds.

5. Play games and tell stories

Matariki is about having fun with your loved ones. Learn to play mū tōrere, a Māori board game. Or make up a story to tell your whānau.

6. Organise a neighbourhood ritual

Come together with your community for a Matariki ritual that uses all the ideas above: Fire and warmth, food, reflection, hopes and dreams, stories, nature, and games.

You might also like

Matariki activity book

Matariki activity book

Learn about Matariki through fun kids' activities. Featuring word searches, colouring pages, games, and stories.

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.

Matariki star facts

Matariki star facts

Get the facts about Matariki - a star cluster known worldwide and treasured in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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Skip to main content The star cluster Matariki appears in our skies in the month of Pipiri (June-July), marking the start of the Māori New Year. This is the coldest time of the year and Pipiri means 'to draw close'. It's a time to come together with your friends, whānau, and communities.

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

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Introduction to Matariki

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New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga

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Twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades) signals the Māori New Year. For Māori, the appearance of Matariki heralds a time of remembrance, joy and peace. It is a time for communities to come together and celebrate. In the 2000s, it became more common for both Māori ...

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Many Answers resources on Matariki for Y1-4

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Large range of resources on Matariki from Topic Explorer

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Winter stars that were important to Māori

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New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga

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This chart shows the winter stars that were important to Māori. The pre-dawn rising of Matariki (the Pleiades) and Puanga (Rigel) signified the start of the Māori year, in winter. Takurua (Sirius) literally means winter.

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Māori lunar calendar

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A selection of links for Pūrākau (Māori myths and legends)

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General websites

Māori myths and legends formed part of an oral history that was passed down through generations. They touched on areas of history, culture, science and society of Aotearoa New Zealand. These websites are great places to find out more about them.
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Te Ara is an excellent starting point for all questions about New Zealand Aotearoa. If we scroll down to the bottom of the page we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

There are many different places to look for information on this site.

There are many Māori myths and legends about the natural world too, like the legends of Ranginui and Papatūānuku.

Because Papatūānuku is the earth, information about her is in a different area.

There's a lot more under the heading The Bush too!

To find Māori myths and legends about Tāwhirimātea - the weather:

If you are interested in myths about the ocean you can try a different section.

And for myths about the land, a slightly different place again.

Tips: Many web pages have links to further information or to other recommended sites. Following these links is a great way to find out more. This searching method is called "pearl growing" because you are picking up pieces of sand to make a beautiful pearl!

Topic Explorer (National Library of New Zealand)

Topic Explorer is an online tool from the National Library of New Zealand. It contains a wide range of quality resources for students in a range of formats, (like articles, books, images, videos, primary sources and websites) on a variety of topics. These resources have been selected from reliable national and international sources.

Tips: We like sites like this because they're reliable. You can tell because of their web address - they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They're also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

This site is from Te Tāhuhu O Te Mātauranga - the Ministry of Education. It has heaps of great information about Māori culture.

Go to the link called Support Materials on the side of the page, and then select Te Reo Māori.

This will open up more options down the side of the page under the Te Reo Māori heading, including a link to Māori Myths, Legends and Contemporary Stories (these stories have either been written or retold by Wiremu Grace and you can view them in either Māori or English).

Explore the different headings down the side of the page, under Māori Myths, Legends and Contemporary Stories. There's heaps to discover!

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation's mission and values are.

Sound & video

These sites have videos and sound recordings of Māori myths, legends, and stories.

Māori Television connects New Zealanders with Māori language and culture by showing a range of programmes. It has a couple of programmes in te reo Māori about pūrākau.

Select Tamariki.

Look for Animated shows.

Pūrākau is a show that tells stories from Māori myth and legend.

He Paki Taonga i a Māui takes a taonga (treasure) from Te Papa Museum and tells the story about it and why it is special.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Funded by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision's collection has film and television, radio and sound recordings, and more from over 120 years of New Zealand's history.

Search the Catalogue + Website for 'Tales from Māori myth and legend'.

This will bring up results from a children's radio show that tells Māori legends.

Select Episode 3 to hear the Māori legend of the underworld.

Choose Episodes 5 and 6 to hear the legend of the Pleiades constellation and Matariki.

Books

Many public libraries around New Zealand have made book lists about Māori myths and legends. Some focus on mythology local to their area, so ask at your local library to see what resources the librarians there have already made.

Here are some titles on Pūrākau in general and some that have connections to local areas:
SCIS no: 1832453

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Māori myths and legends formed part of an oral history that was passed down through generations. They touched on areas of history, culture, science and society of Aotearoa New Zealand. These websites are great places to find out more about them.

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Manu tukutuku – Māori kites