Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki
Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi
Mānawa maiea te mātahi o te tau

Hail the rise of Matariki
Hail the lord of the sky
Hail the New Year

Happy Matariki!

Matariki is a time to gather together, reflect on the year and look toward the future, honour the ones from the past, and celebrate the present with whānau (family), community, entertainment and cultural ceremony.

For the Māori, the rising of the Matariki signifies the start of the New Year and has a huge cultural significance for the people. When the Matariki star cluster begins rising in the night sky, it is the time where the Māori finished their major work activities and got together to remember the past, celebrate with family, share kai (food), stories and look to the future. For many of you, you’d be more familiar with the star cluster’s more widely used name Pleiades. Matariki is also the name of the constellation’s brightest star, whom the Māori regarded as the mother of the eight, with a strong connection to health and well-being.

Only recently, has this event become more widely integrated into society in New Zealand and is the first Māori public holiday in the country. Matariki spans over a couple of weeks, with plenty of cultural activities, ceremonies and community involvement to partake in - from art installations, community markets, dawn ceremonies, film festivals and traditional activities of giving back to the whenua (land) and the moana (ocean) together.

How am I Celebrating Matariki

I know I know, I’ve already done a recent post reflecting on my time in New Zealand, so instead, I want to instead celebrate something instead: Being thankful for having the opportunity that’s been given to me in New Zealand to experience a new part of my life. To go out and explore, immersing myself with the culture and the scenery, discover more of who am I as a person and finding out the things I truly value in life that were otherwise in plain sight. More importantly, I’m also very thankful for the support I’ve had from family (both in NZ and elsewhere) who’ve supported my endeavour in moving overseas. Its those times where I speak to family where I appreciate the moment which were previously embedded in my everyday life.

Although there’s still some areas I’d admit I have yet to really pursue during my stay here, these three, nearly four months in Auckland has enabled me to develop those skills that were otherwise not fully developed in me prior; independence, self-sufficiency, a curiosity to explore and a chance to embrace life’s opportunities and challenges.

With the beginning of the Māori Lunar New Year, discovering more of the country and myself will be areas I will be actively striving towards (and it’s not a New Year Resolution) - and hopefully creating more things too of course!

New Zealander or not, what is something you’re celebrating about over the past year? Is there anything you’re striving towards?

📺 Recent Movie/TV Watch: All Blacks Vs France Rugby Game in the 2026 Nations Championship. Intense but great game!

🌱 Lesson of the Week: Focus on the plan, look back on it frequently

📖 Learning Experience of the Week: Chamonix is the world capital of mountaineering and winter sports, was the site of the first Winter Olympic Games in 1954 and has the highest cable car in France!

🏆 Highlight of the Week: Early morning walk at Grottos Domain

Thankyou for reading! I hope to see you in the next Tale. Until next time! 🧙🏻

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