Matariki
Friday 24 June will be the first time Aotearoa celebrates Matariki (Māori New Year) with a National Public Holiday. How will you mānawatia a Matariki – celebrate at your Playcentre this year? For information on how and when to observe Matariki visit our website.
Each week in the lead up to Matariki we will feature activites and ideas for play relating to a particular Matariki star so keep an eye on our Facebook page.
Te Ao Māori Resources
Ka whāngaia, ka tupu, ka puāwai – That which is nurtured, grow then blossom
This whakatauakī reminds us that is we take the time to nurture and support then growth will occur.
Take some time to study, ponder and reflect on these Te Ao Māori resources put together by the Kaihononga Māori team:
- Karakia – Incantations/prayers
- Inoi – Prayers that are Christian in origin
- Whakataukī – Proverbs
- Whakatauākī – significant, formulaic saying, aphorism – particularly those urging a type of behaviour, where the author is known.
- Kīwaha – colloquialism, colloquial saying, slang, idiom.
Karakia is quite difficult to define, but perhaps the closest translation is ‘incantation’ There are many different types of karakia: atahu (love charms), kawa (to remove tapu from a new building), tohi (baptism), pure (purification), whakanoa (to remove tapu) and inoi (prayers that are Christian in origin). Inoi is to pray or prayer.
Daylight savings came to an end on Sunday 3rd April, this marks the start of earlier nights.
Nights have always been utilised as the perfect time for wānanga – learning areas such as important traditional cultural, religious, historical, genealogical and philosophical knowledge.
Raumati or the summer months are used for cultivating and harvesting kai, make the most of end of season crops and make sure your garden is healthy by preparing the māra for the season ahead.
The cooler months in Hōtoke are used as an opportune time for learning, so spend some time going over karakia, waiata, whakataukī, whakapapa and all the things you’d like to learn more about.