Stories for Matariki

Māori have their own New Year, which is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon. Like Chinese New Year and the Christian festival of Easter, its exact timing varies from year to year, but it usually occurs during the middle of winter. Traditionally, Matariki was used to determine the coming season's crop. A warmer season, and therefore a more productive crop yield, as indicated by how bright the stars were. Different stories are told by different iwi.