Whānau Matariki celebrations at Central Kids Owhata

Each year, Central Kids Owhata Kindergarten in Rotorua celebrates Matariki with a whānau kai, where our families bring kai to share and enjoy an evening together.

The tamariki are excited to visit the Matariki glow room, a room full of glow in the dark – stars and fluro artwork lit up by black lights.

We like to start our evening around the ahi (fire), toasting marshmallows as Tama-nui-te-rā slowly goes off to sleep, then we all come inside to say Karakia mō ngā kai before we begin our hākari, our feast!  What an amazing spread we have – ka pai hoki te hākari!

After kai, our whānau had the chance to write a remembrance star for a family member to hang on our rākau maumahara, then as the tamariki left to go home, they could all choose a Matariki toka, a special painted rock to remember Matariki 2020.

Matariki hunga, Matariki ahunga nui
Matariki has many admirers, Matariki brings us together