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The long winter holiday drought in Aotearoa will be broken next year with the new Matariki public holiday, which will fall on Friday, June 24.
In announcing the 2022 date in Waitangi, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it would be the first public holiday “that recognizes you Ao Māori” (the Maori world).
“It’s great to have the date set for next year. This will be a day to recognize the unique and shared identity of our nation and the importance of the Maori tikanga. “
As Stuff revealed on Thursday, Aotearoa’s newest holiday will not have a fixed date every year, but will change in the same way as Easter. The new holiday is expected to always fall on Monday or Friday.
Stephen Chadwick
The Matariki cluster will send Aotearoa a new holiday in 2022.
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Ardern said it would also break the holiday lag that currently exists between the queen’s birthday in early June and Labor Day in late October.
The Government Advisory Group, composed of experts in Mātauranga Māori (Maori knowledge) and chaired by Dr. Rangiānehu Matamua, proposed the method for selecting the date.
Matariki, sometimes referred to as the Maori New Year, arrives in mid-winter and marks the beginning of the new year for many Iwi with the reappearance of the constellation Matariki (Pleiades) in the east.
The group had to balance the different dates to mark Matariki between iwi and adjust the time with the lunar calendar.
RICKY WILSON
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the first date for the new Matariki vacation. (archive)
Relations with the Maori Crown Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis said the group would support the development of resources to educate the public about Matariki and the celebrations.
The advisory group would work on the recommended dates for the next 30 years, and the Holiday Law would be amended this year to add the new Matariki holidays.
Labor Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood said the new holidays would boost tourism “as New Zealanders plan more getaways in mid-winter.”
“And once the borders are reopened, it will offer businesses a unique New Zealand vacation experience to market to the world.”
CHRISTEL YARDLEY / Waikato Times
Dr. Rangiānehu Matamua, Chairman of the Expert and Advisory Group. (archive)
Members of the Matariki group were Professor Rangiānehu Matamua (chair), Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, Rereata Makiha, Victoria Campbell, Dr. Pauline Harris, Dr. Ruakere Hond, and Jack Thatcher.
In previous statements to Stuff, Dr. Matamua said that Matariki was built around three things.
The first was to recognize the people who had died since the last Matariki uprising. “It’s about remembering those who have passed away.”
The second element was the celebration of the present, he said. “That is mainly with banquets and celebrations.”
Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
Labor Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood said the new holidays would boost tourism. (archive)
The third part was planning for the future, looking towards plans for the next season.
“It recognizes the environment, it is about unity, collectivity and sharing.
“All the things that really are the best part of humanity, I guess.”
Matamua is an associate professor at the University of Waikato and his research fields include Maori astronomy and the star tradition, Maori culture, and Maori language development.
