Matariki marks the beginning of the Māori New Year according to the lunar calendar. This cluster of nine stars (Punanga, Matariki, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi, Ururangi, Pōhutukawa, and Hiwa-i-te-rangi) set on 13 May, and will rise between 10-13 July in 2023. New Zealand will celebrate this with a public holiday, this year to be held on Friday 14 July. On the public holiday for Matariki Friday 14 July, all libraries are closed except Tūranga which is open 10am to 5pm and Foundation Café at Tūranga is open from 8.30am to 4pm.
Christchurch City Council will once again celebrate by presenting Tīrama Mai powered by Orion and Connetics to "reflect on the past, celebrate the present and look forward to the future". Tīrama Mai means to "illuminate" or "bring light", and features a series of lighting installations, projections and illuminated artworks based in Victoria Square between 7 July to 15 July.
This image was an entry by Wei Li Jiang in the 2021 Christchurch City Libraries Photo Hunt, which can be viewed on Canterbury Stories.
Do you have any photographs of Tīrama Mai or Matariki celebrations from around Canterbury? If so, we would love for you to contribute to our collection.
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