Matariki is the Māori New Year celebration traditionally associated with the rising of the Pleiades star cluster.
The name Matariki refers both to the Pleiades star cluster and to the Māori New Year season connected with its heliacal rising. The event occurs during the Māori lunar month of Pipiri, generally in June or July, rather than on December 31. Traditions vary among iwi, but reflection, remembrance, celebration, and planning for the future are recurring themes.
In 2022, Aotearoa New Zealand observed its first public holiday for Matariki. The date is not fixed to one day every year; an official calendar determines the holiday date through 2052. This makes Matariki a national seasonal observance rather than a conventional fixed-date New Year's holiday.
The Pleiades are visible in many cultures and are known by different names, including Subaru in Japan. Matariki should not be confused with Waitangi Day, which commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on February 6.