New Zealand will have a new public holiday , "Matariki," starting in 2022. This is the first time a new public holiday has been established in New Zealand since 1974.
What is "Matariki"?
"Matariki" is a Maori word, the language of the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand, and refers to the "Pleiades star cluster." The Pleiades star cluster is also called "Subaru" in Japanese.
The Pleiades star cluster begins to shine in June and July, which is when the Maori people celebrate the New Year.
Matariki is a Maori word that is an abbreviation of 'Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea', which in English means 'The eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea' .
Tāwhirimātea is the god of wind and weather, and according to Māori legend, in a fit of rage after his brothers, Tāwhirimāteab, separated his sky-father and earth-mother, he gouged out his own eyes and threw them into the Milky Way.
Matariki is based on the Māori calendar and the date changes every year. The government has announced the dates for Matariki for the next 30 years.
Next year's Matariki will be on July 14th. There's quite a gap between this year and then.
One of Prime Minister Ardern's campaign promises
The establishment of the new holiday, called "Matariki", was one of the pledges made by Prime Minister Ardern's Labour Party during the 2020 general election.
When this pledge was announced, Prime Minister Ardern said:
"Matariki is a day of celebration, of looking back at the past and looking to the future. It will be a uniquely New Zealand holiday that will help us to grow proud of our unique national identity (Māori culture)."
He commented,
He also mentioned that New Zealand has fewer public holidays than other OECD member countries.
"Everyone is happy to have another long weekend in the middle of winter."
He said.
First Maori holiday
On New Zealand holidays,
January 1st – New Year's Day
January 2 – Day after New Year's Day
February 6th – Waitangi Day
March-April - Good Friday (Friday before Easter) / Easter Monday (Monday after Easter)
April 25th – ANZAC Day
First Monday in June – Queen's Birthday
Fourth Monday in October – Labor Day
December 25th – Christmas Day
December 26th – Boxing Day
There are 10 public holidays, making Matariki the 11th public holiday in New Zealand.
Up until now, all public holidays have been of British or Christian origin, and there has not been a single public holiday of Maori origin.
In New Zealand, there has been a growing movement in recent years to respect Maori culture, such as the national anthem being sung in Maori and then English, and Maori words being used in English (similar to foreign words in Japan).
The inclusion of Matariki as a national holiday can be seen as part of this movement.
