Matariki: Connecting people to the land

Recognising the importance of Matariki by marking it as an official public holiday is a significant milestone for Aotearoa NZ as this is our first public holiday to recognise Te Ao Māori (the Māori world).

Matariki has been part of Māori culture for centuries, and Māori have long understood that their lives are intrinsically linked to the physical world, and as kaitiaki (guardians) of nature.

At AIA, we also understand that there is a clear link between physical and mental wellbeing and our interaction with the environment, as explained further in our 5590+research insights report.

In today’s Aotearoa, celebrating Matariki is an important acknowledgement of the significance of our Māori culture and heritage, as well as a uniquely NZ tradition with principles and values that both tāngata whenua (people of the land) and tāngata tiriti (all others who have come here) can embrace.

Matariki signals the start of the Māori New Year. It is a time to celebrate new life, to remember those who’ve passed, and to plan for the future.

It is shown by the appearance of a nine-star cluster (also known as the Pleiades) in the night sky mid-winter. According to the Maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) the reappearance of Matariki is a sign of the end of the old lunar year, and the beginning of the new.

Because Māori follow the Māori lunar calendar, not the European calendar, the dates for Matariki change every year

The disappearance of the Matariki stars from the night sky in April/May also told tūpuna (ancestors) it was time to harvest and save their crops for the upcoming season.

When it reappeared, they would use their knowledge of the stars and the earth to predict how winter would unfold – clear and bright stars signified a warm and plentiful winter, but if the stars were hazy or unclear the season was set to be bleak.

Today, the three principles of Matariki are all still intrinsically linked with the land and the environment. 

The traditional Matariki celebration is based around three principles, which are still part of Mānawatia a Matariki today.

Remembrance: The re-appearance of Matariki in the morning sky during mid-winter coincided with the whāngai i te hautapu ceremony, where food would be cooked and offered to the Matariki stars.

During the ceremony, people would call the names of their loved ones who had passed since the last Matariki rising, to honour their memory. By calling their names, Māori believed the spirits of the dead would become stars in the sky.

Celebrating the present: After honouring those that had passed, communities and whānau gathered to reconnect and give thanks for the blessings of the year.

In mid-winter, the harvest season had finished, so there was plenty of food stored and ready for the winter season This was a time of year to rest, relax and share the fruits of the harvest together.

Looking to the future: As whānau came together during Matariki to celebrate the past year, they also looked towards the future and plan for the next season and the next year. Today, people across Aotearoa come together at Matariki to remember their ancestors, connect with the land, and tell stories. Whether that’s by enjoying a special mid-winter feast with whānau, lighting candles to reflect and remember loved ones, planting native trees, or writing down hopes and dreams for the year ahead.

We asked two of our own AIA whānau to share what Matariki means to them and how they celebrate this time of year. Our Chief Strategy Officer, Angela Busby (Te Rarawa and Ngati Tūwharetoa) said,

“Matariki is a time of year that is very close to my heart. It has been wonderful to see such an important part of my culture and heritage recognised as an official public holiday.

At Matariki I like to pause and reflect and give thanks for my many blessings. Whānau are so important, and I love bringing mine together at Matariki to eat good food, share our stories, remember those who are no longer with us, and look forward to the future.

The past couple of years have shown just how precious and special it is to be able to come together as a whānau and that we should make the most of every opportunity to celebrate together.”

Our Chief Customer & Digital Officer Sharron-Moana Botica (Maniapoto and Te Āti Awa) shared:

“Although I am a proud Māori wahine, I am still learning so much about our culture and traditions, including Matariki. I love that this unique celebration for Aotearoa is centred around whānau, without many of the commercial trappings of other major holidays, so like many others at Matariki I take the time to be with my family, as well as reflecting on the year just gone and the year ahead.

I also love that Matariki is so connected to the environment and to nature. Our environment plays such a huge role in our physical and mental wellbeing. Matariki is about connecting with each other but also with the world around us, so during June I’ll be taking a team from our AIA whānau to plant native trees in remembrance of our customers who passed away in 2021, this is part of us respecting the values of Manaaki, aroha and whakamahara.”

No matter your cultural background, the principles of remembrance, celebrating the past, and looking to the future are ones that everyone in Aotearoa can adopt and use to make their own connections to each other and to the world around us.

Caring for the environment is not only good for our physical and mental wellbeing, it will make a difference to the world we leave for our tamariki and our future generations, and it’s also a great way to connect with whānau and mark this unique and significant celebration for everyone in Aotearoa.