Matariki has officially arrived and to herald the Māori New Year, a very special and deeply spiritual ceremony took place at Auckland's Takaparawhau (Bastion Point) in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
More than 1000 people attended the public event led by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Auckland Council.
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei was out in full force, honouring the past, present, and future through karanga, karakia, waiata, and haka.
It's a first for the iwi to perform the umu kohukohu whetū ritual, the burning of fires and the offering of selected kai to the stars that make up the Matariki star cluster.
That's because the ritual had been lost in the past century and only recently reignited.
"Ngāti Whātua is also on a journey of reviving some of the ways of old," said Te Kurataiaho Kapea, tohunga of Ngāti Whātua.
Along with it being spiritual, it was also emotional. Matariki is also a time to farewell whanau who've died in the last year.
"When they were reading the names, it is a sense of closure," said Auckland Councillor Alf Filipaina.
Reflection, connection, and resetting one's focus for the year to come is the meaning of Matariki.
This sacred ritual was traditionally for iwi only. Now, for the first time it's being shared with the public as Aotearoa gets set to celebrate Matariki as a national public holiday.
"It's such an incredible, beautiful thing to be a part of and I'm really grateful to be here to witness that on such a peaceful beautiful morning," one person said.
"I'm still new to the country and I'm still learning about Māori and everything that comes with it," another said.
Kapea said it is a big week for Aotearoa.
"It's a big week for the indigenous peoples of the world. It is the first reinstated indigenous holiday of the world," he said.
This is just the first of five events that Auckland Council and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are running over the next three-and-a-half weeks. Now based on Tuesday morning's spiritual ceremony, there is no doubt that the momentum is going to build.
"For us we've got over a 100 events," Filipaina said.
The dawn of a new era for all to embrace.
Mānawatia a Matariki - happy Māori New Year.
