Matariki public holiday explained (28 June 2024)

Aotearoa New Zealand marks a national celebration this winter with the Matariki public holiday. It’s the 12th public holiday in New Zealand’s working year, and will fall on Friday 28th June, 2024.

For business leaders, it’s important to understand the importance of Matariki and ensure that it’s factored into your calendar. Here’s what you need to know about Te Kāhui o Matariki…

What is Matariki and why is it celebrated?

Matariki takes its name from the Maori name for a cluster of seven stars, called ‘Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea’ (‘The Eyes of the God Tāwhirimātea’). The cluster is also known in other parts of the world as the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, Makli’i or Subaru.

When the Matariki star cluster becomes visible to New Zealand in mid-winter, it marks the start of the Māori Lunar Calendar. Celebrating the start of the Māori New Year is what makes up the Matariki celebrations and it’s an important time in Te Ao Māori.

There are three specific values that are central to Matariki:

• Remember the past – it’s a time to honour the people we have lost.
• Celebrate the present – it’s a time to appreciate what we have.
• Look to the future – it’s a time to consider what the future holds.

Is Matariki a public holiday?

Yes – it was officially made a public holiday with the passing of the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill on 12 April 2022. While Matariki has been celebrated for a very long time amongst Māori iwi and whānau, this was the first time it had been formally marked as a national public holiday in Aotearoa.

To recognise Matariki as the first national holiday specifically celebrating mātauranga Māori, the legislation was drafted in both te reo Māori and English.

The 2024 Matariki national public holiday will be on 28th June 2024. It’s not the same date each year, but varies with the Māori lunar calendar. Generally this falls between June and July each year. You can see the full list of dates up until 2052 here.

How is Matariki celebrated?

Every iwi marks Matariki differently, although everything is underpinned by those three principles of remembrance, celebration and looking to the future. Generally it’s a time to get together with loved ones, whether that’s sharing kai, telling stories of whānau who have passed away, or having a kōrero about plans for the year ahead.

There are also plans for events across Aotearoa, including a weekend event in the Bay of Islands and a festival of lights in Christchurch.

Who are the Matariki Advisory Group?

The Matariki Advisory Group are a number of experts in Te Ao Māori brought together by the Government. The group was formed during the consultation around the Matariki Public Holiday Bill, and provided advice to Ministers in May 2021 around dates for the holiday, ways to celebrate and what is required to improve understanding of Matariki.

The members of the group are Dr Rangiānehu Matamua, Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, Rereata Makiha, Victoria Campbell, Dr Pauline Harris, Dr Ruakere Hond and Jack Thatcher. You can read their recommendations here.

How to celebrate Matariki at work

First and foremost, employers will need to ensure they factor in the Matariki holiday as they would any public holiday. This includes giving employees a paid day off if it’s an otherwise working day, so make sure you’ve got your leave management process in place. There are also stipulations around pay on public holidays, should they have to work regardless.

For more information on your obligations as an employer during public holidays, check out our blog.

Outside of the holiday itself, there are plenty of fun ways that employers can encourage their employees to engage with the Matariki celebrations and build an inclusive workspace. Prompt a discussion with your team about how they’ll celebrate the holiday, or arrange a hui to celebrate recent wins and set goals for the year ahead. Maybe you could arrange delivery of a hāngī to share during lunchtime.

If you feel confident in your competency and, importantly, are consulting the right people and sources, incorporate more te reo Māori into communications. Start with sharing how to wish ‘Happy Matariki’ in te reo, which is, ‘Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori’.

Staying compliant with Employment Hero

As an employer, it’s really important to ensure that you’re factoring Matariki into the coming months, as well as the years ahead. Still, incorporating public holidays into leave and payroll correctly can be a challenge.

That’s where Employment Hero can help, with automated features and simple payroll software so you can spend more time focusing on celebrating the holiday.

For more information about creating an inclusive workplace, check out our guide

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