Spring
Spring Equinox service – See Curator’s Notes, ‘Stations’
Winter Solstice (Matariki)
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Maori traditional New Year falls close to the Winter Solstice. It is measured by the appearance in the night sky of the constellation of Matariki, or the Pleiades. The first new moon after the rise of Matariki signals the new year. The Maori calendar was based on the presence of Matariki, which was the frame of reference for reading the other movements of the moon and stars, and determining the timing of activities such as planting, weaving and meeting.
We haven’t yet incorporated Matariki into our cycle of worship services in any significant way, but there’s a great deal of symbolic richness that could be drawn on, and there are some who wish to see Matariki designated as the New Zealand New Year celebration.