February 04, 2021
Date for first Matariki public holiday revealed
The first Matariki public holiday will be celebrated next year on Friday, June 24.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the date at Waiting today after being welcomed on to the Treaty Grounds.
She says Matariki will be a distinctly New Zealand holiday; a time for reflection and celebration, and our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Māori.
The date of the public holiday will shift each year in line with advice fro the Matariki Advisory Group, but it is expected to always fall on a Monday or Friday.
Ms Ardern says it will be a day to acknowledge the nation’s unique, shared identity, and the importance of tikanga Māori.
It will also break up the lag between public holidays that currently exists between Queen’s Birthday in early June and Labour Day in late October.
Matariki is a cluster of stars, also known as Pleiades, that rises in mid-winter, marking the start of the Māori New Year.
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