It was Matariki Maori New Year on Friday. Matariki public holiday, is the first reintroduced indigenous holiday in the world.
Matariki is the star cluster (Pleiades in Greek mythology), and like so many cultures, stars in the night sky hold cultural significance.
Matariki is celebrated in the following ways:
A time to remember those we have lost in the last year and the legacy that they leave us.
Celebrate the present and the people in your life who fulfil you. Just like the stars of the Matariki cluster that rise together, this is the time to gather together.
A time to look to the future with hope and set a fresh intention for the year ahead.
So, in good form I celebrate the tradition of my new country, with friends gathering for a feastfest at Omapere, the wild west coast of northern New Zealand.
Being in nature provides instant harmony and balance, and rejuvenates the spirit.
Sharing moments of the weekend.