Matariki

Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters. It is referred as the traditional Maori New Year.
The Maori New Year is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the new moon that follows. Matariki can be seen in the last few days of May every year and the New Year is marked at the sighting of the next new moon which happens during June.
Matariki has two meanings: Mata Riki (Tiny Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God).

Traditionally the size and success of the season's crops were determined by the stars. The brighter the stars were, the warmer it was, and the better it was for growing crops. Matariki was also a time for a family gatherings and to think about the past and future. People celebrate Matariki to show respect to the land they live on and to celebrate the Maori New Year.

Matariki is celebrated by planting new trees and crops which signals new beginnings.
It is also seen as a good time to learn about the land they live on and to remember whakapapa (ancestry) who have passed from this world to the next.
All Iwi (Maori tribes) celebrate Matariki although they celebrate it at different times. Some celebrate it when Matariki's first seen in the dawn sky, others celebrate it more to the end of which is after the full moon rises.