Matariki

                                          Matariki

Matariki is the Maori  new year celebration; kind of like how the Chinese have Chinese New Year, Maori have Matariki. Traditionally Matariki was celebrated  with family and friends, reflecting on past times. They also had HUGE feasts full of Hangi style food.

 These are some of the foods they would eat:

•  kumara

• crayfish
•  eel 
• potatoes  

•  various seafood

• chicken
• pork
• pumpkin

• magpie,  

                HOW THE MATARIKI CAME TO BE

                                             Matariki means "tiny eyes ", or "eyes of a god"

                                                     Matariki got its name from the legend in which Ranginui and Papatuanuku where separated by there kids, who felt trapped on Earth. The god Tawhirimatea ripped out his eyes because he was VERY upset about Ranginui and Papatuanuku being apart. He threw his eyes up in to space and his eyes became the Matariki. The seven sister stars (matariki) are part or the consolation, Pleiades.

                       

CUSTOMS AND CELEBRATIONS 

Since the store houses were full of food that they stashed for winter and the people could eat a lot, feasting was a big part of Matariki. They also flew kites because they believed that the kites fluttered close to the stars. Sometimes, for a more modern Matariki, people do fireworks.