Gazing Matariki stars to welcome the Māori New Year & celebrate a special birthday party from Kiribati

Have you been fortunate to experience a holiday
from a religion or culture different than your own?
If so, tell us about it! If not, which would you choose to experience?

For this week question, I would love to share with you my experiences with two celebrations from Maori people and Kiribati people in New Zealand.

Let's get started with Matariki - the Maori New Year in July

It was at the start of winter season in 2019, when my partner and I worked in a ski resort named Whakapapa, we got an invitation from our company to a Matariki festival. At that time, I didn't know much about this, I just know it is a kind of Maori ritual to celebrate their new year.

We got up quite early that day to catch a van at 5 in the morning that would take us to the ski center where children and families gathered to sing beautiful Maori songs around a bonfire.

I didn't understand anything, however, I remember enjoying the celebration very much. In the freezing cold weather, next to the bonfire in front of the mighty mountain, I felt my body moving along with the melody of the songs.

^{Children from the national park village singing Maori songs that they had been practicing for months}

^{Gathering around the bonfire}

I remember the oldest Maori man in the group gave a speech about this festival to thank the god of the mountain, the land we live in and wish for a good start of the new year. That was my first impression about Matariki. I didn't really know the meaning and history of this festival until July 2021, when I was assigned to draft an article about Matariki.

It was when I learned that in Maori culture, the rising of the Matariki star cluster (the Pleiades or Seven Sisters) marks the start of the Māori New Year. Matariki festivities were a celebration of life, honouring ancestors, and farewelling the dead. Offerings were made to land-based gods who would help provide good crops, and new trees were planted to signal new beginnings. Src

The celebration I attended was organised for public so it only lasted around 30 minutes. I think I read somewhere that the Māori will have more celebration in their Marae (meeting grounds), however, I haven't had an opportunity to attend it yet.

Celebrate a birthday party for a one-year-old baby from Kiribati Island

I was so lucky to meet a kind-hearted lady from Kiribati Island. She doesn't speak English so well even though she migrated to NZ since 20 years ago. Despite many difficulties when communicating at work, we got so close to each other. I was working side-by-side with her for around 3 months.

At my last month, she invited me to join a birthday party for a one-year-old girl. At first I thought the baby was her grand-daugher so I said yes. But then it turned out that the baby is just a daugher of her friend. I was hesitate to join.

However, my friend told me that it was a big party for all Kiribati people in New Zealand and friends who are non-Kiribati are welcome to join too. She told me this is one of the biggest parties in her culture which costs the family around 10,000 NZD. The reason is for Kiribati people, when a person turns 1 year-old and 21 year-old, they consider it marks important events in their life. That's why it is celebrated in that way.

When I arrived at the party, I was so surprised by their hospitality and kindness. My friend was busy preparing food at the back so two of her friends stayed with me to make sure that I feel welcomed. They were also there to explain the traditions.

^{Taking photos with the family}

The celebration started with a short speech from the family. Then, they will invite guests (non-Kiribati people like me) to come up and say hello to the baby and give presents. Then we were asked to pick presents that were hanged on the wall. As you can see in my photos below, the wall were hung with presents like T-shirts, Scrafts, flowers from Kiribati on the wall. And my friend told me that when I chose a present, I have to take two of them.

^{Presents hung on the wall are for guests. they are from the family to say thank you}

^{Group photo with my friends}

After that, it came the meal time. The facilator asked guests to come up first and get their meals too. I didn't want to go first and told my friend that I would wait for everyone to take their food. But my friend told me that they wouldn't start until I start the meal. After looking around and confirming that people were waiting for me, I came towards and started to get food.

After the dinner, there came the dance show. My friend told me another tradition in this party, while people are dancing or singing, the mother of the baby will come on stage and stick money on their body. What a cool tradition for everyone to have fun.

I was so grateful to get invited to this party. It was my first time joining a celebration from other culture but I didn't feel like I am an outsider. I didn't feel lonely when I was there with them.

Thank you for reading my post. This is my entry post for the @ladiesofhive contest 60. Thank you @thekittygirl for the question and my friend @winnietran for inviting me to this contest.

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