Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had her ministers cooking for the public on Waitangi Day, but she’ll be cooking for the stars on the first Matariki public holiday.
The PM will join tohunga in a pre-dawn hautapu ceremony on June 24 at Te Papa Tongarewa.
Museum chief executive Courtney Johnston says the ceremony involves the cooking of kai connected to the stars of Matariki.
Steam from the kai is released to feed the stars, and tohunga look to the appearance of the star cluster and make predictions for the year ahead.
The ceremony will be broadcast across a range of media channels and live streamed at www.Matariki.net.nz
An interactive exhibition, Mānawatia a Matariki, opens at Te Papa tomorrow, and the museum will run a series of whānau-friendly events between June 24 and July 3.
Te Papa kaihautu Arapata Hakiwai says the museum has held Matariki celebrations for more than 20 years, and the creation of a national public holiday is a dream come true.
