June 24, 2022 will be the first says Jacinda Ardern
Auckland, February 4, 2021
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the date of the inaugural Matariki Public Holiday.
Nga Mata o Te Ariki, more commonly known as Matariki, will be celebrated on Friday, June 24 next year. The 2022 date was advised by the Matariki Advisory Group.
The government has also asked the Matariki Advisory Group to advise on future dates, as the exact timing of Matariki shifts each year, but these are expected to always fall on a Monday or Friday.
Ms Ardern said that Matariki will be a distinctly New Zealand holiday; a time for reflection and celebration, and our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Maori.
“It is great to have the date locked in for next year. This will be a day to acknowledge our nation’s unique, shared identity, and the importance of tikanga Maori. It is going to be something very special, and something uniquely New Zealand. It will also break up the lag between public holidays that currently exists between Queen’s Birthday in early June and Labour Day in late October,” she said, speaking at Waitangi Day celebrations.
About Matariki and Advisory Group
Matariki is a cluster of stars (Pleiades) that rises in mid-winter, marking the start of the Māori New Year.
“The reappearance of the Matariki Stars in our sky each year marks the beginning of a New Year, and in recent years has become a time of celebration not just for Maori, but also for many people across Aotearoa,” Maori Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis said.
He said that since the date of Matariki changes each year depending on the appearance of Pleiades in the sky, the government established a Matariki Advisory Group to provide advice on future dates of the public holiday, how it should be celebrated and to support the development of resources to educate the public on Matariki and the celebrations.
Among the members of the Matariki Advisory Group are Professor Rangianehu Matamua (Chair), Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, Rereata Makiha, Victoria Campbell, Dr Pauline Harris, Dr Ruakere Hond and Jack Thatcher.
Mr Davis said that the Group will ensure that Matauranga Maori is at the forefront of decision-making about the public holiday.
Acknowledging regional differences
Professor Matamua said, “The members are recognised experts in Te Ao Maori and Matauranga associated with Matariki and the Maramataka. Iwi mark the start of the Maori New Year in different ways around the country, so it is important that this Holiday acknowledges those regional differences,” said
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood said: “Matariki will help our tourism sector, as Kiwis plan more mid-winter getaways, and once the borders reopen, it will give businesses a uniquely New Zealand holiday experience to market to the world. The Advisory Group will now work on recommended dates for the next 30 years to give businesses and communities’ certainty,” he said.
Legislation will be introduced later this year to amend the Holidays Act and add in the additional Public Holiday.
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