By Rev Dr Wayne Te Kaawa
I have a recent tradition that tells me that the season of advent is near: a friend sends me a photo of a pōhutukawa in blossom.
The pōhutukawa has been understood to be the Christmas tree of this land for centuries. This harks back to Christmas Day 1814, when missionary Samuel Marsden arrived in our land having been invited by his friend, Ngāpuhi chief Ruatara, to preach the Christian Gospel here.
Records from that day say the pōhutukawa was in bloom, which for many Māori is a sign that the kina (sea urchin) is ready to be harvested and enjoyed on the Christmas table.
Indigenising the season of Advent and Christmas - giving it a flavour distinct to Aotearoa New Zealand - has always been my goal.
European cultural markers like a white Christmas, reindeer, snow, Santa Claus and the North Star have long influenced how we celebrate the festive season, but have little relevance here.
Thankfully, with Matariki becoming a popular public holiday, there has been a resurgence of interest in Māori astronomy, which presents an opportunity to reimagine our own celebration of Christmas in this nation.
For me, this lies in looking to Rehua - a sacred star in the constellation Te Waka o Mairerangi.
I've always been fascinated by the Magi (better known as the Wise Men) from the east, who studied the stars and play a key role in the story of Jesus' birth.
As told in the nativity story, they saw a bright star rise in the night sky and figured that it was signalling the birth of the Messiah. They followed the star as it went ahead of them and eventually stopped over Bethlehem, where the child Jesus was born.
The month of December, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, is a busy month in the southern night skies.
The pōhutukawa bloom at this time of year aligns with the star Rehua beginning its ascent in the east, becoming the most prominent star in the night sky. Rehua sets in the west in the month of June as Puanga rises, followed by Matariki, which heralds the Māori New Year.
There are so many ways the story of Rehua the star resonates with the story of Jesus' birth and life.
To start with, Rehua rises in the east in early December, as does the star the Magi followed. Māori tradition also tells us Rehua lives in the highest of the skies, while the Bible says that Jesus sits on the right-hand side of God in heaven.
Like Jesus, who overcame death through his resurrection, Rehua is untouched by death, and the star is said to have the power to cure blindness, revive the dead, and heal disease, just as there are many accounts of Jesus doing in the Gospels.
In records written in the 1880s by one of my tūpuna, he says 'Ko Rehua, he whetu manu (Rehua is a star of the birds)'. After Jesus' baptism, scripture describes the spirit of God descending on him like a bird, a dove.
In some stories, Rehua gifted Tāne birds that he brought to Earth - while in the Gospels, Jesus is credited with bringing the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life to Earth.
Finally, the Magi brought the Christ child valuable gifts in gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I'm not sure if kina cuts it, but it is highly valued when it's on the table at Christmas lunch.
Christmas Day under the southern skies in Aotearoa New Zealand is a day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
And it's also the day that the nativity story arrived on these shores, 209 years ago, with a pōhutukawa in bloom, a much sought-after delicacy ready for harvesting, and a star called Rehua rising in the east.
Perhaps it's time we incorporated this land's unique connections to the Christmas story in our own celebrations during the festive season.
Rev Dr Wayne Te Kaawa (Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa) is a Presbyterian minister and a lecturer in Māori Theology at the University of Otago.
