Puanga To Be Star Of Matariki 2025

This year’s theme of Matariki mā Puanga highlights communities who observe Puanga astronomical traditions and is all about celebrating and learning about the Māori new year together.

"Matariki and Puanga are stars that sit in the night sky together to signal the start of the Māori new year for different iwi," says the government’s Chief Advisor Mātauranga Matariki, Professor Rangi Mātāmua.

Mātāmua says this year’s theme was chosen to help guide Puanga and Matariki celebrations around New Zealand and the world. The theme will feature at this year’s nationally broadcast hautapu ceremony hosted by Ngāti Rangi at the base of Ruapehu.

"While the stars that mark the beginning of the Māori new year may vary in some regions, the themes that underpin the ceremony and celebration are the same," says Mātāmua.

"Both Puanga and Matariki are celebrations of an ancient lunar-solar time keeping system that can be found in civilisations around the world throughout history.

"It’s awesome to see understanding of Matariki grow in New Zealand, but even more so across the world as other cultures reconnect with their indigenous astronomical traditions.

"Three quarters (75%) of Kiwis see Matariki as a chance to celebrate the culture, people, and stories of Aotearoa, up from 70% in 2023. This trend suggests there’s a deepening appreciation for Matariki across the motu.

"Matariki brings together indigenous and western science, with institutions like NASA and the Royal Observatory in Greenwich keen to engage and grow their understanding of mātauranga Matariki and Puanga.

"Countries across the world are looking to see how Aotearoa New Zealand is bringing people together and embracing traditional Māori scientific knowledge of the stars," says Mātāmua.

Che Wilson, spokesperson for Ngāti Rangi and leading mātauranga Puanga expert, acknowledges the significance of Puanga being in the spotlight for national celebrations.

"It is a great privilege to be the host of this year’s nationally broadcast hautapu which will feature Puanga as the star of this year’s celebrations," says Wilson.

" Matariki mā Puanga acknowledges and embraces the different traditions, stars and tikanga around celebrating the Māori New Year and the different regional variations that exist.

"For Ngāti Rangi and other neighbouring iwi, we look to Puanga as the marker of the Māori new year.

"Puanga is the star Rigel and is the brightest star in the Orion constellation. Matariki is seen below Puanga and to the left of Tautoru (the three stars of Orion’s Belt) in the late autumn and early winter night sky.

"Matariki and Puanga are for everyone, and I encourage people to find out more about our stars above us," says Wilson.

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