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Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill

Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki/Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill

The purpose of the bill is to establish a new annual public holiday acknowledging Matariki. Matariki marks the rising of the Matariki star cluster (also known as the Pleiades), signalling the start of the Māori New Year, and a time to gather with whānau/family and friends. The exact date varies each year to align with the Māori lunar calendar (maramataka).

The bill sets out the dates on which the public holiday would be observed, from 2022 to 2052. If passed, it would also provide for future dates. The first Te Kāhui o Matariki public holiday would be on Friday, 24 June 2022.