Happy Matariki everyone!
In the Māori language Matariki is both the name of the Pleiades star cluster and also of the season of its first rising[1] in late May or early June—taken as the beginning of the new year.[2] Similar words occur in most Polynesian languages, deriving from Proto-Polynesian *mataliki, meaning minute, small, and the use of the term for the Pleiades constellation is also ancient and has been reconstructed to Eastern Oceanic ( taken from Wikipedia)
Events to celebrate this New Year (June/July 2013) are being held around New Zealand over this next month … see this link for more information
In Wellington, the Carter Observatory (at the top of the Cable Car) has a full programme to mark this annual event, including a ‘family day’. Check out the Carter’s calendar programme here.
Taputeranga Marae in Island Bay, Wellington are having Matariki Celebrations from the 22nd to 23rd June, should be fun.
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will try and pop in to some celebrations 🙂
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