Celebrating Matariki

In Waitaha, Te Waipounamu the Māori New Year begins when Puaka (Rigel) appears as the brightest star over Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū (Banks Peninsula).

Matariki/Puaka is a time to celebrate whānau and all the precious moments. A time to huddle together and stay warm. We share kai, we share stories, we farewell our loved ones that have gone before us and give thanks for the prosperous year ahead.

Celebrating Matariki

There are lots of ways you can celebrate Matariki. Some ideas to get you started include:

• Getting your family together for a feast!
• Planting a tree or preparing your vege garden for new planting
• Have a quiet moment of wonder and check out the stars
• Attend a local Matariki event.

Check out the Christchurch City Libraries webpage for more on Matariki and ways to celebrate it.

Maramataka Calendar

As part of Te Waioratanga, we created a lunar calendar to remind people of the role of the world around us can have on our wellbeing.

For thousands of years, people have looked to the environment to track time, define space and determine their connection to the world and their surroundings. Stars have been used to signal the year ahead, the moon to track the month, the sun to note the days and the weather to note the seasons.

Coming from the traditionally holistic understanding of wellbeing in Māori culture, the Maramataka calendar utilises the traditional practice of observing the moon phases to help us reflect, plan and work with how we’re feeling.

Check out our Maramataka tool online today!