Matariki holiday: What to know about celebrations and surcharges

Puanga and Matariki pictured above Ruapehu. Photo / NAIA Limited

By RNZ

Matariki celebrates the Māori New Year and is a time for people to gather, honour the dead, celebrate the present and make plans for the future.

This year, the public holiday falls on Friday, June 20.

It became an official public holiday in 2022 and is the first holiday to recognise Te Ao Māori. It was the first new public holiday since Waitangi Day became a public holiday in 1974.

The date of Matariki changes from year to year, but it will always fall in June or July.

There will be plenty of Matariki events on Friday and at the weekend.

Do I have to work?

It’s a non-working day just like any other public holiday, which means if you are asked to work on the day (as regularly rostered), you’re entitled to time-and-a-half pay and an alternative day off.

What’s open?

Trading restrictions don’t apply to Matariki in the way they do to Easter holidays, Christmas or the first half of Anzac Day.

Shops, restaurants, cafes and other businesses can be open as usual, but they can close if they wish.

Will there be surcharges?

Hospitality businesses can add a 15% surcharge to their services to cover the costs of paying employees time-and-a-half.

If a business does charge a surcharge, it must have clear signage communicating this to the customer.

Customers can complain to the Commerce Commission if they feel they have been misled about surcharges.

What is Matariki all about?

Matariki is the name of a star cluster in the constellation of Taurus, commonly known as Pleiades. In midwinter, the stars rise and herald Te Mātahi o te Tau, the Māori New Year.

The word “Matariki” is an abbreviation of “Ngā mata o te ariki o Tāwhirimātea” or “the eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea”. Matariki was taken as a wife by Rehua and she gave birth to eight children, each star having a unique purpose and defined role in Te Ao Māori.

Traditionally falling at the end of the harvest, the cluster’s rise marked a time of abundant food and feasting. Today, people celebrate the day with plenty of kai, stargazing, and community gathering.

Why does the holiday date change each year?

The Matariki public holiday is observed on different dates each year.

This is because Māori follow an environmental calendar system that considers the sun, the moon, various stars, and other ecological indicators to determine time.

The Matariki public holiday dates fall on the closest Friday to the Tangaroa lunar period during the lunar month of Pipiri. Tangaroa is not a single phase of the moon but rather the last quarter period of the lunar calendar. Because of this, the dates to celebrate Matariki will differ from year to year.

Future public holiday dates

In 2022, the Matariki Advisory Committee set out the Matariki public holiday dates for the next 30 years.

2025 – June 20.

2026 – July 10

2027 – June 25

2028 – July 14

2029 – July 6

2030 – June 21

2031 - July 11

2032 - July 2

2033 - June 24

2034 - July 7

2035 - June 29

2036 – July 18

2037 – July 10

2038 – June 25

2039 – July 15

2040 – July 6

2041 – July 19

2042 – July 11

2043 – July 3

2044 – June 24

2045 – July 7

2046 – June 29

2047 – July 19

2048 – July 3

2049 – June 25

2050 – July 15

2051 – June 30

2052 – June 21

– RNZ