Puanga Kai Rau Festival

What is Puanga

'Puanga’ is known as Rigel and appears in the north eastern horizon in late May or early June.

Each year around June, the stars of Matariki and Puanga signal the end of one year in Aotearoa and the start of the next. The Māori new year is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon.

In parts of Taranaki, Northland, the West Coast of Te Waipounamu and Rēkohu/Wharekauri, the Māori new year is marked by the rise of Puanga.

During this time the food stocks were plentiful after the harvest period and with winter upon them it was time to prepare the land for the upcoming growing season. The appearance of Puanga enabled the elders identify what the upcoming growing season would bring, whether it would be a plentiful or barren year.

The brighter the stars indicated the warmer the season would be and thus a more productive crop. It was also seen as an important time for family to gather and reflect on the past and the future.

Today Puanga, Matariki and the Māori New Year are a way of paying respect to and celebrating the unique place and land on which we live.

What is Matariki?

Matariki is the Māori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters; and what is referred to as the traditional Māori New Year.

Matariki has two meanings, both referring to a tiny constellation of stars; Mata Riki (Tiny Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God).