Matariki, the Stars of the New Year
When a small cluster of stars rises before dawn in midwinter, Māori say the new year has begun, and read the coming harvest in its brightness.
What was reported
Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster known elsewhere as the Pleiades. It disappears from the night sky in autumn and reappears low in the east before dawn in June or July, marking the Māori new year.
Traditionally, people watched its rising closely: if the stars were bright and clear, the season would be good; if hazy, the winter would be hard. It was a time to remember those who had died in the past year and to plan the planting.
Explanations offered
The haze and clarity of the stars depend on the winter weather and moisture in the air, which may indeed relate to the coming season. Matariki became a public holiday in New Zealand in 2022.
- When
- Every midwinter
- Where
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Witnesses
- Māori astronomers, and all of New Zealand
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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