Matariki Explanation.

Explanation of Matariki.

Matariki is a star constellation that has much meaning to many people.for sum it tells when to plant and harvest crops for others it marks the Maori new year.

Matariki  literally means they ‘eyes of god’ or ‘little eyes’.It is also a Maori name for a cluster of stars or Pleiades. It rises in mid winter-late may or early June.For meany Maori it is the start of the new year.

If you get up at between 5:30am and 6:30am and look up first you find the pot also none as oriens belt to find Rigel look above the pot until you see the bright star.To find matariki keep going to the left of the pot and find the bright orange star Aldebaran a line from the bottom three stars of the pot to Taumata-kuku an keep going untill you hit a cluster of stars and that is matariki.

For some it was when Matariki rose in May or June. For others it was celebrated at the first new moon following the rising of Matariki. In the 21st century it is the new moon following the rising of Matariki that signals the New Year. In 2015 Matariki the Maori New Year started on 18 June.