Matariki

The annual appearance in the dawn sky of Matariki, a star cluster the Greeks call Pleiades, and the Japanese called Subaru, heralds the start of the traditional New Zealand/Aoteroa New Year.

To many Māori the New Year is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon. Some iwi use either Matariki or Puanga (Rigel) and either the new moon or the full moon.