Matariki

What does the reappearance of Matariki in mid-winter mark?

• New Harvest

• Winter Solstice

• The Māori New Year

• Easter

Answer explanation

Matariki signals the Māori New Year. It is a time of renewal and celebration in New Zealand that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster (the Pleiades or Seven Sisters).

  What is Matariki?

• A star cluster

• A star Constellation

• A single star

• A shooting star

Answer explanation

Matariki is a star cluster, not a constellation. A cluster is a group of stars that are near each other in space. When seen from Earth, the stars in a constellation appear to be close together in a pattern, but they might actually be far from each other. There are about 500 stars in the Matariki cluster, but only six or seven are visible without a telescope.

How is Matariki generally celebrated?

• Eating

• Entertainment

• Remembering our ancestors and those who have passed

• All of the above

Answer explanation

Across New Zealand, people come together during Matariki to remember their ancestors, share food, sing, tell stories, and play music.

What Month does Matariki reappear in Aotearoa’s sky?

• May/June

• June

• June/July

• May - July

Answer explanation

There is some debate over the dates concerning when Matariki can be seen with the naked eye. However, it's generally agreed that Matariki can be seen in the period between May–July. However, the new holiday will be celebrated throughout June as it is between these months.

What’s the Name for winter In Māori?

• Hōtoke

• Koanga

• Raumati

• Ngahuru

Answer explanation

The correct answer is Hōtoke. Takurua is also a name associated with winter as it's also the Māori name for the star called Sirius which appears in winter time.

The star cluster Matariki is 440 light years away. If you were to drive there in a car at 100km an hour, how long would it take you?

• 48 Years

• 4,800 years

• 480,000 years

• 4.8 billion years

Answer explanation

Compared with other star clusters, Matariki is one of the star clusters nearest to Earth. But it’s still 440 light years away. If you drove there in a car at a speed of 100 kilometres an hour, you would arrive in 4.8 billion years!

Matariki marks the beginning of the Māori New Year, but what is the whole lunar calendar called?

• Rangi

• Maramataka

• Rātaka

• Pō

Answer explanation

The Maramataka is the traditional Māori lunar calendar.

Traditionally, what was the Maramataka used for?

• To guide fishing and gardening

• To guide when to run a hui-event

• To seek ancestral guidance

• All of the above

Answer explanation

Historically, the Maramataka was used to guide many activities and events in the lives of iwi communities, not just harvesting food for example.

Which of these names appears in the Maramataka?

• Iwi

• Waka

• Rākaunui

• Whenua

Answer explanation

In some versions of the Maramataka, Rākaunui is the name for the full moon. This is a good day as crops are bountiful, and fishing is good. However, this isn’t a good night for eeling.

Which of these names is not another name for Matariki?

• Subaru

• Tangaroa

• Makahiki

• Pleiades

Answer explanation

Subaru is the Japanese name for the star cluster we know as Matariki. Makahiki is the Hawaiian name and Pleiades is the Ancient Greek name. Tangaroa is the god of the sea, therefore, Tangaroa is the right answer.