Matariki
“The beauty of the upcoming Matariki holiday is that it’s one way in which mātauranga Māori will connect us all.
There isn’t a single person in the world who doesn’t come from a culture or background where people looked up to the sky — for inspiration, for navigation, for understanding time.
The earliest cave painting in the world, some 20,000 years old, has Pleiades — which is Matariki — drawn on the wall, using astronomical references from China. This cluster of stars has been a universal point of contact for all peoples since the beginning of humanity.
So, our Matariki holiday is built on wonderful principles of unity and celebration and togetherness. And it shows that western understandings of science and mātauranga Māori are not adversaries but are linked together.”
— Dr Rangi Matamua (2022) How Matariki will connect us all
Matariki Resources for Church Services
Matariki Liturgies and Services
The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia’s Celebration of Matariki liturgies.
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Matariki resources including Matariki Services and their Kids Friendly Matariki resources.
The Salvation Army’s Matariki Resource Pack.
Catholic Diocese of Auckland’s A Catholic Prayer to Honour and Celebrate Matariki.
St Andrew’s on the Terrace’s Matariki Service.
Otago Campus Chaplains’ Matariki Service.
Flagstaff Community Church’s Matariki Service Pack.
Photo: Christchurch City Libraries
Matariki resources for tamariki and whānau
STRANDZ’s Matariki resources page
St James Whanganui’s Matariki activity for St James Kids
Kids Greening Taupo’s Online Classroom’s A whole week of resources on Matariki
The Parenting Place’s Ideas for celebrating Matariki with your whānau
This Splendid Shambles’ How to make harakeke whetū (flax stars)!
Please note tikanga around harvesting harakeke.
Flagstaff Community Church’s Matariki tree planting.
Further Christian Matariki Resources
God within Matariki
‘God within Matariki’ is a new 29-minute documentary produced by Shine TV for the celebration of Matariki.
What does the Bible say about this time in our Kiwi calendar, and how do we navigate the celebrations and complexities of this season as Christian communities? Theologian Dr Brad Haami and church leaders help us look up and see where our creator God is within the stars of Matariki.
Te Rongopai & Matariki
This video and its accompanying info sheet is brought to you by the Wilberforce Foundation, featuring Lorinda Pereira. Lorinda shares her Hokianga/Ngā Puhi perspective on Te Rongopai and Matariki (Puanga). The video covers the following:
What is Matariki?
When is Matariki?
What is the Christian narrative about Matariki?
What can people do during Matariki?
“I’d encourage people to encounter the supernatural essence of Christ. The supernatural imprint of Te Kaihanga ki runga i te whenua, ki te rangi (The Creator of the earth and the heavens). Matariki literally means ‘Te Mata-Ariki’ – to come face to face with the Lord. It is a time of deep encounters with the Lord. We get to actually reflect and and say: Where am I at, Lord? To get real and say: Where are we heading together?”
– Lorinda Pereira.
Laidlaw College’s Matariki Resource
The Laidlaw Centre for Church Leadership, with Bradford Haami, have created a video to explain what Matariki is and how we can think about it from a deeply Gospel-centred perspective. Matariki has been observed for generations. What is it, exactly? Why is it significant for New Zealanders? And how do we celebrate and acknowledge the season within our church communities?
Methodism, Matariki and the Māori Christ
An Open Education session on “Methodism, Matariki and the Māori Christ” with Rev Dr Wayne Te Kaawa, Lecturer in Maori Theology, University of Otago, Dunedin, at the Mornington Methodist Church, Dunedin, New Zealand, on 21 July 2021.
Baptist Churches of New Zealand: Matariki - a time to look beyond
In this article Jo Hood (Ngāti Pākehā, Visionary/CEO, mainly Ministries) and Elyse Stubbington (Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāti Apakura, Pouwhiringa to mainly Ministries) share how Matariki is a gift to the church of Aotearoa and a moment to walk towards Te Tiriti o Waitangi and partnership. Read the full article here.
The Salvation Army: Marvellous Matariki
Matariki celebrations are becoming more widespread across New Zealand. But what is Matariki? And how can celebrating Matariki ‘bring life’ to Māori within The Salvation Army? Read the full article here.
Research: Star Gazing and Worship: How does observing the annual appearance of Matariki relate to and inform Christian worship?
By Rev Brendon McRae, University of Otago, 2023. Link to full thesis here.
Abstract: This research project considers the themes of the Māori commemoration of the rising of the constellation Matariki and its implications for shaping Christian liturgical resources distinctive to Aotearoa New Zealand. Friday 24th June, 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand marked the seasonal change celebrating its first Matariki public holiday. The Christian community was largely unprepared for this recent phenomenon. The interest in this research stems from the vacuum of theological engagement and liturgical resources within the Christian community.
This research aims to present theological reflections on the themes associated with Matariki offering suggestions for liturgical resources for Christian worship. A mixed method approach was used including Action Research on a church congregation’s unfolding exploration of Matariki in worship and communal life and a sampling of an innovative Matarki liturgy.
It was shown that with the resurgence of interest in Māori astronomy and spirituality that the Christian community has an opportunity to engage with a truly indigenous narrative. Current research supports the notion that a contextualised liturgy is needed if a predominately euro-centric expression of Christianity in Aotearoa is to have any relevance to everyday New Zealanders and their experiences of Matariki.
Overall, the study will propose that a Matariki liturgy unique to Aotearoa New Zealand is both a theological and missiological necessity. For the Christian community it will reveal the strong synergies between Matariki and Christian faith, eliminating ambiguity and encourage participation in Matariki commemorations within the worship space.
Relevant Eco Church stories
