Magical Matariki

 

What is Matariki?

Matariki is about the Maori new year and the seven Maori stars. The stars disappear in late April and come back in June in the ice cold winter. That means it’s the beginning of the Maori new year. The stars have other names. The stars are called the seven sisters. The eldest sister has a name, its name is Matariki. She guides her younger sisters beautifully and safely. When it is warm the crops will grow tall and then we will gather lots of seafood. We celebrate Matariki in lots of different ways. We tell stories and we grow winter crops to get of food. We fly kites and we forgive people who have made us sad.