This month we have been teaching the tamariki all about the Maori new year, Matariki.
Matariki is the name of a star cluster, also known as the Pleiades. When it is visually in the night sky, this marks the change in season and the start of the first lunar cycle of maramataka (Maori lunar)
It rises in midwinter and for many Maori, it is the start of a new year. In Maori mythology Tawhirimatea was angered at the separation of their parents Ranginui and Papatuanuku, that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens hence the name mata (eyes) ariki (gods).
Matariki is a time to acknowledge and remember our past loved ones, it is a time to reflect, to be thankful to the gods for the harvest, to feast and to share the harvest with family and friends and a time to plan for the following year (goals, dreams and aspirations).
There are nine stars in the Matariki cluster. Each star in the cluster relates to a part of Te Taiao (Natural World). The exploration and celebration of Matariki represents the interconnections which is central in Te Ao Maori. Matariki is a special occasion in the New Zealand calendar which marks the start of the Māori New Year.
Signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in our night sky, this is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead. The names of the nine stars are Matariki, Tupuārangi, Waipuna-ā-Rangi, Waitī, Tupuānuku, Ururangi, Waitā, Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi.
Here at BestStart Lynmore, we have been teaching the children about the story of Matariki, we have been making beautiful artworks, doing lots of baking, learning the Matariki Maccrenna and reading many stories about Matariki, finishing our learning of with a shared Kai with all of our families