Matariki 2025: Date, Theme, and Public Holiday

Ever found yourself checking the calendar and wondering why some holidays shift around while others stay put? Matariki, the Māori New Year, is one of those moving celebrations — and in 2025, it lands on Friday 20 June. Whether you are planning a long weekend or simply curious about the traditions behind Aotearoa New Zealand’s newest public holiday, this guide covers the date, the theme, and what makes this celebration so special.

Matariki 2025 public holiday: June 20, 2025 · Lunar period: June 19–22, 2025 · Next public holiday: July 10, 2026 · 2025 theme: Matariki mā Puanga · Meaning: Māori New Year

Six key facts, one pattern: the Matariki date moves each year, but the cultural meaning stays rooted in the same lunar rhythm.

What day is Matariki public holiday 2025?

What is the exact date of Matariki 2025?

• Matariki 2025 public holiday is Friday 20 June 2025, as confirmed by the New Zealand government (RNZ, national broadcaster).
• The lunar period associated with Matariki 2025 runs from Thursday 19 June through Sunday 22 June 2025, according to ANZSOG (Australia and New Zealand School of Government).
• The Ministry of Education (New Zealand government) lists Friday 20 June 2025 as the Matariki public holiday in its official school term dates.

How is the Matariki date determined?

• The date shifts each year because Matariki follows the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, and the rising of the Pleiades star cluster, as RNZ (national broadcaster) explains.
• The holiday is always on a Friday, and the government has published a 30-year schedule of future dates, per RNZ.

When does Matariki 2025 start and end?

• The broader Matariki celebration period in 2025 begins on Thursday 19 June and runs until Sunday 22 June, with the public holiday on Friday 20 June, per ANZSOG.
• Many communities hold events across the entire long weekend, including star-gazing gatherings, feasts, and storytelling sessions.

The pattern is clear: the public holiday anchors the long weekend, but the cultural observance stretches wider, following the moon rather than the Monday-to-Friday work week.

Is Matariki the same date each year?

Why does the Matariki date change?

• Matariki is not the same date each year; it moves between late May and early July, based on the first new moon after the rising of the Matariki star cluster, according to RNZ.
• The date depends on the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar), which tracks moon phases rather than the Gregorian calendar, as NZ Herald (national newspaper) reports.

What is the range of possible Matariki dates?

• Matariki can fall anywhere from late May to early July. The 30-year schedule published by the government shows dates ranging from 24 June (2022) to 14 July (2028), per RNZ.
• This variability is natural for a lunar-calendar holiday — similar to how Easter moves each year.

Matariki public holiday dates for the next five years

• 2025: 20 June 2025
• 2026: 10 July 2026 (RNZ)
• 2027: 25 June 2027
• 2028: 14 July 2028
• 2029: 29 June 2029

The implication for travellers and event planners: a June date in 2025 could become a July date the following year, making it essential to check the schedule well in advance.

What is Matariki and why is it celebrated?

What does Matariki mean in Māori?

• Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster, and it means “eyes of the god” or “little eyes” in Māori, marking the start of the Māori New Year, as NZ Herald explains.
• The cluster contains nine stars, though only seven are visible to the naked eye under good conditions, according to Science Learning Hub (New Zealand educational resource).

Why is Matariki the Māori new year?

• The rising of Matariki in the winter sky signals the end of the harvest and the beginning of a new year in te ao Māori (the Māori world view), as NZ Herald reports.
• It is a time for remembrance, celebration, and planning for the year ahead — gathering with whānau (family), honouring those who have passed, and setting intentions for the future, according to NZ Herald.

How is Matariki celebrated today?

• Modern Matariki celebrations include public festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, and community feasts across Aotearoa New Zealand, as noted by Science Learning Hub.
• Schools and workplaces often hold Matariki events, and the public holiday gives everyone a chance to participate in local traditions.

What this means: the holiday is still young, and each year’s celebration helps shape how New Zealanders incorporate te ao Māori into national life.

What is the Matariki theme for 2025?

What does “Matariki mā Puanga” mean?

• The 2025 Matariki theme, announced by Manatū Taonga (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), is “Matariki mā Puanga”, which emphasises inclusion and connection, as reported by Te Waha Nui (Māori journalism outlet).
• Puanga is the star Rigel, which some iwi (tribes) use to mark the New Year instead of the Matariki cluster, because in certain regions the Pleiades are not visible above the horizon during the lunar period.

Why is the theme about inclusion?

• The theme acknowledges that different iwi across Aotearoa have their own traditions for observing the New Year, according to Te Waha Nui.
• “Matariki mā Puanga” invites communities to include diverse perspectives and honour the different star-based calendars used by various tribes.

How does the theme influence celebrations?

• The 2025 nationally broadcast hautapu (star-rising) ceremony will be held by Ngāti Rangi at the base of Ruapehu Maunga, per Te Waha Nui.
• Local events across the country are expected to reflect the theme by highlighting regional iwi stories and practices alongside the more widely known Matariki traditions.

The catch: while the theme promotes inclusion, the practical implementation depends on local communities and iwi authorities choosing to highlight regional variations in their programming.

What food is eaten on Matariki?

Traditional Matariki foods

• Traditional Matariki foods include kūmara (sweet potato), fish, berries, and preserved birds — foods that were harvested and stored during the autumn months ahead of the winter new year, according to Science Learning Hub.
• Hāngī (earth oven) is a common cooking method during Matariki, where food is slow-cooked on heated rocks buried in the ground.

How to prepare a Matariki feast

• A modern Matariki feast might combine hāngī-cooked meats and vegetables with fresh seafood, salads, and rewena (Māori bread).
• Sharing food symbolises community and connection during the New Year, as NZ Herald notes in its coverage of Matariki traditions.

Modern Matariki food customs

• Many New Zealanders now host Matariki dinners at home or attend community gatherings where traditional and contemporary foods are shared.
• Cafés and restaurants in cities like Auckland and Wellington often offer special Matariki menus featuring kūmara, Māori herbs, and Pacific-inspired dishes.

The implication for hosts: the core ingredients anchor the tradition, but the flexibility of modern feasting means each gathering can reflect the community’s own story.

Timeline

• 2022 — First Matariki public holiday observed on 24 June (NZ Herald)
• 2023 — Matariki public holiday on 14 July (RNZ)
• 2024 — Matariki public holiday on 28 June
• 2025 — Matariki public holiday on 20 June (RNZ)
• 2026 — Matariki public holiday on 10 July (RNZ)

What we know and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Matariki 2025 public holiday is 20 June 2025 (RNZ)
• Matariki 2025 lunar period is 19–22 June 2025 (ANZSOG)
• The 2025 theme is “Matariki mā Puanga” (Te Waha Nui)
• Matariki became an official public holiday in 2022 (NZ Herald)
• The holiday is always on a Friday (RNZ)

What’s unclear

• Exact visibility conditions for the Matariki star cluster on any given night depend on weather, light pollution, and location
• Which specific iwi traditions will be featured in community events across different regions

Expert perspectives on Matariki

Matariki is a time to gather, honour the dead, celebrate the present, and make plans for the future.

— NZ Herald (national newspaper)

The date of the Matariki public holiday changes each year to align with the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.

— RNZ (national broadcaster)

The 2025 theme ‘Matariki mā Puanga’ acknowledges diverse traditions across Aotearoa.

— Te Waha Nui (Māori journalism outlet)

Matariki 2025 lands on Friday 20 June — a date that links modern New Zealanders to a lunar calendar that has guided Māori for centuries. For anyone in Aotearoa planning the long weekend, the choice is clear: mark the calendar for the public holiday, but keep an eye on the sky from Thursday evening through Sunday, because the real celebration follows the stars, not the clock.

Frequently asked questions