Happy Matariki

Mark from Tamatea

Matariki at the House of Light – A New Tradition
In the heart of winter, when the nights are long and the air turns crisp, something ancient and something modern meet outside my front door.
Matariki rises in the dawn sky—a constellation of remembrance, of new beginnings, of those who came before us and those yet to come. And down below, in a quiet Napier neighbourhood, my house lights up in response.

People slow their cars. Kids press up against windows. Some call it a Christmas display, but this one? This is for Matariki. For the Māori new year. For reflection and community and hope. A winter celebration not tied to shopping or Santa—but to the stars, the land, and the stories that make us who we are.
Each light I hang is more than decoration—it’s memory. Of family. Of survival. Of laughter in hard years and joy in unexpected places. It’s a tribute to resilience, to togetherness, and to the stubborn belief that even in the darkest months, we are never without light.
There’s something beautifully circular about it. Matariki reminds us to look back, to honour those who’ve passed. And then it invites us forward—to plant intentions, to share kai, to gather and dream again. That’s what this display is. A gathering place. A spark of warmth in a cold season. A modern ritual rooted in love and lights.
So I string the stars across my roof. I let them shine blue and white and gold like constellations reborn. And I think of those who’ve stood in this garden before me, and those who will come after.
This is Matariki at Williams Wonderland—not just a spectacle, but a story in every light.

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