Today we celebrate Matariki, the Māori name for a cluster of stars that rises in our midwinter and, for many, it heralds the start of the new year.  You may know this cluster as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, depending on what part of the world you come from.  This holiday is an opportunity to gather over a meal and reflect on the year that has passed, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. 

That is what we are doing today as my family shares a yummy brunch.  What are you doing to mark this occasion?

Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki
Mānawa maiea te Mātahi o te tau

Celebrate the rising of Matariki
Celebrate the rising of the New Year