1395 days ago

Understanding Māori Culture - Matariki

Zingela Property Management Ltd

Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster.

It rises during Pipiri (June/July) and marks the beginning of the Māori new year. The word is an abbreviation of Ngā Mata o te Ariki (Eyes of God) in reference to Tāwhirimātea, god of the wind and weather. In the story of creation, Tāne Mahuta (god of the forest) separated his parents Ranginui and Papatūānuku, and his brother Tāwhirimātea got upset and tore out his eyes, crushed them into pieces and thew them into the sky.
Traditionally, Maori iwi, or communities, would gather together at night during a time of the constellation's prominence, making use of the period between harvests to celebrate and make offerings for a bountiful future.
When Matariki disappeared in April/May, it was time to preserve crops for the winter season. When it re-appeared in June/July its appearance was said to predict the success of the season ahead; clear bright stars are a good omen and hazy stars predict a cold, harsh winter. The brightness of each individual star predicts the fortunes of a specific thing that star represents, such as the wind or food that grows in trees.

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More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

🕵️‍♂️ Detective Mode ON! Can You Crack These Riddles? 🔍

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

Two people are born at the same moment, but they don't have the same birthday, how?

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!

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7 hours ago

Sunday prize draw!

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Congratulations to the winners of this week's prize draw who will receive a $50 cafe voucher.

The winners are:
Sarah McGarry from Tawa
Jenna Holland from Woolston
Tobias Nash from Northland
Sascha Howie from Tauranga

Get in touch with the Neighbourly team here if you are on this list.

Not a winner? Maybe next week you will be!

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1 day ago

Show us your projects

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Whether it's craft, haberdashery, woodwork or upcycling, we'd love to see what you've been working on lately.
You may even spark someone else's creativity...

Tell us about your current project or show us a picture in the comments below...

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