Matariki, the Māori New Year, falls on Friday 10 July in 2026. It is New Zealand’s only public holiday grounded in te ao Māori and is set by the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, rather than a fixed Gregorian date. The holiday marks the pre-dawn winter rising of the Matariki star cluster, known internationally as the Pleiades, and centres on remembrance, celebration, and planning for the year ahead.
What Matariki marks
Matariki is the Māori name for a cluster of stars that reappears in New Zealand skies in mid-winter. The name is a shortened form of Ngā Mata o te Ariki o Tāwhirimātea, meaning the eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea.
The same star cluster is known by other names in different traditions:
- Pleiades or the Seven Sisters in Western tradition
- Makaliʻi in Hawaii
- Subaru in Japan
For generations, Māori used the stars to help guide the year. When Matariki disappeared from the sky in autumn, it signalled the time to preserve the harvest for winter. When the cluster rose again before dawn in June or July, tohunga studied it to anticipate the season ahead and the food it might bring. These readings varied between iwi and formed part of wider environmental knowledge.
Matariki became a public holiday in 2022. It was New Zealand’s first new public holiday since Waitangi Day in 1974 and the first to recognise te ao Māori.
Matariki 2026 date and public holiday rules
The Matariki public holiday in 2026 is Friday 10 July. The wider observance runs from 8 to 11 July, with many public events held over the long weekend and surrounding days.
Because the date follows the maramataka, it changes each year but always falls on a Friday in June or July. The public holiday dates were recommended by the Matariki Advisory Group and are fixed in legislation through to 2052 under the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022.
The dates are guided by the Tangaroa nights, the last-quarter period of the lunar month of Pipiri, traditionally associated with the clearest viewing of the cluster.
Matariki has no trading restrictions, unlike Easter, Christmas, and the morning of Anzac Day. Shops, cafes, and restaurants may open as normal, although some choose to close. Some hospitality businesses apply a public holiday surcharge, commonly around 10 to 15 per cent, if customers are told in advance.
Workers rostered on for the public holiday are entitled to time and a half and an alternative day off if the day is otherwise a regular working day for them.
The nine stars of Matariki
The Matariki cluster contains hundreds of stars. In Māori tradition, nine principal stars are commonly recognised, though some iwi recognise seven or mark the new year with another star such as Puanga.
| Star | Domain | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Matariki | Wellbeing and reflection | The star that gives the cluster its name. It represents health, wellbeing, hope, and connection to the environment and to each other. |
| Pōhutukawa | Those who have passed | Associated with loved ones who have died in the past year. |
| Tupuānuku | Food from the soil | Connected to food that grows in the ground and is harvested or gathered. |
| Tupuārangi | Food from above | Associated with food from trees, including fruits, berries, and birds. |
| Waitī | Fresh water | Connected to lakes, rivers, streams, and the life sustained by them. |
| Waitā | The ocean | Associated with the sea and food gathered from it. |
| Waipuna-ā-rangi | Rain | Connected to rain; the name means water that pools in the sky. |
| Ururangi | Winds | Associated with winds and changing weather in the year ahead. |
| Hiwa-i-te-rangi | Wishes and aspirations | Associated with hopes, goals, and aspirations for the coming year. |
Why Matariki matters for newcomers
Matariki’s three core ideas—remembering the past, celebrating the present, and planning for the future—fit closely with the experience of settling in a new country.
For migrants, remembrance can include honouring family, homeland, culture, and whakapapa carried from elsewhere. Celebration can mean recognising the work of building a new life and joining a new community. Planning for the future can include practical goals such as stable work, secure immigration status, and a pathway to residence.
Pōhutukawa reflects memory and loss, while Hiwa-i-te-rangi represents hopes for the year ahead. Taking part in Matariki can be a way for newcomers to connect with te ao Māori and with the wider community in New Zealand.
How newcomers can take part
New arrivals do not need to be Māori to participate. Matariki is a national public holiday and community observance.
Practical ways to join include:
- Attend a hautapu, a traditional dawn ceremony. These gatherings acknowledge the stars and are often free to attend in cities and towns.
- Look for the Matariki cluster before dawn. Around 10 July, look low towards the north-eastern horizon. Tautoru, or Orion’s Belt, can help locate it; Matariki appears nearby and is roughly as wide as Tautoru is long.
- Gather with whānau and friends over kai. Sharing food is central to Matariki, and a hāngī cooked in the ground on hot stones is a traditional centrepiece.
- Join a community festival. Councils and cultural centres often run free events such as markets, kapa haka, light shows, and workshops.
- Reflect on the past year and write down goals for the next one, connecting with the idea of placing wishes on Hiwa-i-te-rangi.
Key points for 2026
- Matariki 2026 falls on Friday 10 July.
- The wider observance runs from 8 to 11 July.
- The date is based on the maramataka, not the Gregorian calendar.
- The holiday dates are legislated through to 2052.
- Shops, cafes, and restaurants may open because Matariki has no trading restrictions.
- Rostered workers may be entitled to time and a half and an alternative day off.
- Some hospitality businesses may add a public holiday surcharge, commonly around 10 to 15 per cent, if disclosed in advance.
- Everyone may take part respectfully, including new migrants and visitors.
Source article: www.newzealandshores.com
