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Te Herenga Waka o Ōrewa Community Marae will hold its annual Matariki Ahunga Nui ceremony, at Ōrewa Beach in front of the surf club on the Matariki public holiday, Friday June 20 at 6am.
The event celebrates the rising of the Matariki star cluster and the beginning of the Māori new year.
During the ceremony, share karakia, waiata, and mātauranga Māori, including knowledge about the Matariki star cluster and its cultural significance.
Marae spokesperson Amanda McGlashan says the gathering offers a dedicated moment for reflection and remembrance, where we will honour loved ones who have passed by collectively naming and paying tribute to those who have left us throughout the year.
Matariki Ahunga Nui will be held outside the Ōrewa Surf Lifesaving Club, rain or shine, and will begin promptly at 6am.
Participants are advised to wear warm clothing and bring rain gear and a seat. A sausage sizzle, hot drinks, and soup will be provided.
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars, also known as the Pleiades, that rises in midwinter and for many Māori heralds the start of the new year.
The return of the cluster is commemorated by Te Rā Aro ki Matariki. Early in the morning, just before dawn, is considered the optimum time to view the Matariki cluster.
Māori believe that appearance of Matariki in the morning sky in mid-winter marks the Māori New Year, or Te Mātahi o te Tau. It signals a time to remember those who have passed, celebrate the present and plan for the future. It’s a time to spend with whānau and friends and to enjoy kai (food), waiata (song), tākaro (games) and haka.
Māori tūpuna (ancestors) would look to Matariki for help with their harvesting. When Matariki disappeared in April/May, it was time to preserve crops for the winter season. When it re-appeared in June/July, tūpuna would read the stars to predict the upcoming season. Clear and bright stars promised a warm and abundant winter while hazy stars warned of a bleak winter.
Because Māori follow the Māori lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar, the dates for Matariki change every year. In 2025, Matariki will be celebrated from June 19 to 22, with a national public holiday on June 20.
