celebrating te ao Māori and Matariki

Matariki, the Maori New Year, translated as ‘tiny eyes’ or ‘eyes of god’, is an incredibly special celebration. Over the years, I have been trying to learn about Te Ao Māori. I want to figure out how to embrace the festival of Matariki at home with my whānau. As an immigrant to this country and as someone who didn’t grow up surrounded by this beautiful culture and heritage, I owe it to Aotearoa and myself to learn more and bring my loved ones on the journey. Traditionally, Matariki is considered a special time to acknowledge the start of Winter, listen to stories of our ancestors, learn about the natural world, and, as it is with most indigenous cultures, celebrate togetherness and reflection. Matariki hasn’t been watered down to gift guides and tablescapes (don’t get me wrong, I do love a good tablescape), but this festival goes beyond all the fluff, and I am grateful for having these moments of light, grounding, and togetherness as a community. Now more than ever.

Simon Day shares some advice on how to mark this special time, so here are some things I might try this year to celebrate Matariki :

1. Standing outside in my bare feet, staring up at the clear early morning sky, following the stars from the familiar Tautoro to the left to find the Matariki cluster. 

2. For Maoris, Astronomy was interwoven into all facets of life. Matariki is a wonderful time to honour the knowledge and learnings passed down through generations. I downloaded an online resource pack with printables that I will use with my 4-year-old to learn a bit more about the location of the nine Matariki stars, their names, and what they stand for.

3. The kai. Food is offered to the stars in Te Whāngai i ngā whetū. The ceremonial kai is connected to the different stars, something from the earth, a bird or something from the skies, something from fresh water, something from the ocean. When the food is finished cooking, it is uncovered to release the hautapu within the steam to rise and feed the stars. This classic poached Fish Curry, Polly’s Miso Chicken and Rice Bake, alongside Dad’s Maori Bread ticks all the boxes for our Matariki dinner.

4. This festival is a special time to acknowledge and remember our loved ones that are no longer with us. I am working on a printable Milk book with photos of my dad that I hope to share with my whanau soon.

5. Lastly, journaling and storytelling is another great way to come back to self and acknowledge this auspicious time. Some storytelling prompts below :

- Write a story that begins with an ending
- Find out how long the shortest day is where you live. Write a story that takes place in that amount of time. 
- Write about the first sunrise after the long dark.

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori or Happy Matariki and I hope you have a special celebration with your loves ones.