WELLINGTON: The New Zealand government on July 2 announced that the country will celebrate 'Matariki' or Maori New Year as a public holiday beginning on next year June 24, 2022. Acting Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Peeni Henare said in a statement that the  government announced the Matariki public holiday date for the next 30 years "to give communities and businesses certainty, adding that the  calendar date for the Matariki public holiday will shift each year to align with the Maramataka (Maori lunar calendar) and will always be on a Friday

"Matariki will be our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Maori (Maori world) and will be one that is uniquely New Zealand," he said. Matariki is more than just a public holiday. The celebration of the new public holiday will be informed by key values such as unity, sharing, feasting, coming together, and environmental awareness, the minister said.Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades, and refers to a cluster of stars that rises in mid-winter, marking the start of the Maori New Year.

Some Maori tribes name this time of year Puanga, after a bright star that is above and to the right of the Matariki constellation.

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