Matariki marks the Māori New Year and signals a time for people to gather, honour the dead, celebrate the present and make plans for the future.

It's only become an official public holiday in the past two years, but it's a day New Zealanders look forward to very much.

Like Easter, the date of Matariki changes from year to year, but it will always fall in June or July. This year, the public holiday falls on Friday 28 June.

It's a non-working day just like any other public holiday - which means if you are working on the day (as regularly rostered), you're entitled to time-and-a-half pay and an alternative day off.

Photo: Quin Tauetau

What is Matariki?

Matariki is the name of a star cluster in the constellation of Taurus, commonly known as Pleiades. In mid-winter, the stars rise and herald in Te Mātahi o te Tau, the Māori New Year.

The word 'Matariki' is an abbreviation of 'Ngā mata o te ariki o Tāwhirimātea' or 'the eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea'. Matariki was taken as a wife by Rehua and she gave birth to eight children, each star having a unique purpose and defined role in Te Ao Māori.

Traditionally falling at the end of the harvest, the cluster's rise marked a time of abundant food and feasting. Today, people across Aotearoa gather to celebrate the day with plenty of kai, stargazing, and community gathering.

Why does the holiday date change each year?

Keen observers will have noticed the Matariki public holiday is observed on different dates each year.

This is because Māori follow an environmental calendar system that considers the sun, the moon, various stars, and other ecological indicators to determine time.

The Matariki public holiday dates fall on the closest Friday to the Tangaroa lunar period during the lunar month of Pipiri. Tangaroa is not a single phase of the moon but rather the last quarter period of the lunar calendar. Because of this, the dates to celebrate Matariki will differ from year to year.

Established in April 2022, Matariki is the first public holiday to recognise Te Ao Māori, and the first new public holiday since Waitangi Day became a public holiday in 1974.

What's open?

Trading restrictions don't apply to Matariki in the way they would for Easter holidays, Christmas, or the first half of Anzac Day.

Shops, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality and retail venues will be open as usual, but they can choose to close if they wish - so it pays to check opening hours beforehand.

Supermarkets and malls will be open too, but some may operate with shorter hours.

Surcharges

Public holidays are an expensive day to be a business and Matariki is no different.

Hospitality businesses in particular may add a 15 percent surcharge to their services - this is usually to cover the costs of paying employees time-and-a-half.

If a business does charge a surcharge, they must have clear signage communicating this to the customer.

This can be done with the display of signs detailing the surcharge, a message on the business's website, or by verbally letting the customer know at the time of purchase or before they order.

If customers believe they have been misled about a surcharge, they can complain to the Commerce Commission.

Future public holiday dates

2025 - 20 June

2026 - 10 July

2027 - 25 June

2028 - 14 July