Matariki Rising

MEDIA RELEASE

25th May, 2011

Matariki Rising

Matariki is the name for a beautiful blue cluster of stars that disappears from New Zealand skies in May each year before returning in the early pre-dawn skies in June. The reappearance of Matariki signals the start of the month-long Matariki Festival, which this year runs from the 4th of June to the 3rd of July.

Matariki is a prominent feature in the night sky, visible from most parts of the globe. The stars appear unusually bright and close together, making them easily recognizable. In Japan the cluster is called Subaru like the car brand, which is named after them. In Greek mythology they are called the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters. Māori and Pacific stories describe Matariki as a mother surrounded by her six daughters.

The Matariki Festival takes place in mid-winter, a cheering event during one of the darkest and coldest parts of the year, comparable to winter solstice events held in the northern hemisphere. In ancient times, Matariki Festival arrived at the end of the harvest and was therefore a time of plenty for Māori. The kumara (sweet potato) and other root foods had been gathered, and the migration of fish such as moki and korokoro made Matariki Festival a time of bountiful catches.

“Reviving the Māori tradition of gathering in mid-winter to acknowledge the past, focus on the future and to share knowledge, food and entertainment, Matariki Festival gives people of all cultures a chance to come together and celebrate this special time of year unique to New Zealand,” says Mikki-Tae Tapara, Auckland Councils Matariki Festival producer.

As well as marking the start of a new year, Matariki has traditionally signalled a new beginning. Matariki is a time for planting trees and preparing the land for crops, so conservation and respect for the environment are strong themes that are part of this celebration. Most importantly though, Matariki is a time for friends and whanau (family) to gather, and for remembering ancestors and loved ones who have passed on.

The Māori Language Commission has led a successful campaign to raise nationwide awareness of and participation in the celebrations, so that Matariki Festival is fast becoming an iconic national event. As their website puts it, “The renaissance of this ancient Māori celebration and its tradition is a chance for all New Zealanders to remind ourselves of the very special place we occupy in the world.”

The timing of Matariki Festival differs each year and is calculated using a solar/lunar calendar that varies from year to year, like Easter. Ancient Māori calculated the passing of time using a lunar calendar marking one month for each cycle of the Moon (29.53 days), unlike our modern calendar months which have varying numbers of days. The lunar calendar was about 11 days short of the 365-day solar year, which delineates the length of time for the Earth to orbit the Sun. To catch up each Māori Year was started with reference to Matariki in order to prevent the seasons slipping on the months.

Stardome astronomer Dr Grant Christie explains, “The timing of the four seasons was important to ancient civilisations. The seasons are tied to the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. The rising and setting of stars and constellations are also determined from the Earth's orbit about the Sun. A solar year is made up of 365.25 days or of 12 lunar months (new moon to new moon) plus 11 extra days. For a lunar calendar to be useful, each year it needs to be re-set with the solar calendar by restarting it with reference to when a notable star (or star cluster like Matariki) first reappears from behind the Sun in the early dawn sky.” Note that our "months" are not in sync with the lunar month (29.53 days). The months have varying days (28,29,30,31) so that our calendar months are exactly 12 per year.

All around the world, wherever lunar calendars have been or are still used, each calendar must be started annually against the observation of a star or constellation. The time of setting the calendar is invariably accompanied by feasting and celebrations.

Some Māori tribes attach significance to the rise of a star called Puanga or Puaka (Rigel) instead of the Matariki star cluster. There are also tribal differences regarding the timing, but most often on seeing Matariki for the first time a kaumātua (wise elder) would announce the coming of the New Year, which would begin at the rise of the next crescent Moon or Full Moon. Matariki becomes more clearly visible in further weeks, rising earlier each morning.

Today the Matariki Festival can be experienced at a wide range of events being held around the country. There have even been proposals to make Matariki Festival a national holiday!

Aucklands Stardome Observatory & Planetarium will host a „Matariki Breakfast at 5:30am on Saturday the 18th of June for those interested in observing the rise of Matariki. The planetarium show „Matariki Dawn will screen at 7pm daily from the 15th to the 19th of June, for those interested in learning more about Matariki. Booking is essential – see www.stardome.org.nz for more details.

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