Everyone wins with Matariki

The Maori renaissance has gifted us with many things and Matariki is one of them. All over the country Matariki celebrations are lighting up dark and rainy winter nights. A reminder that sharing and celebrating the good things in life is always a relief from recession and worry.

One of the great things about Matariki and about celebrating  the changing of seasons is that it is a tradition every New Zealander can enjoy regardless of whether they want a republic or whether they support a monarchy.

Matariki is not about what divides us. It is about what brings us together and about all those people and traditions that bring us comfort and strength in times of stress and strain. Marariki is about friendship and aroha. It is about sharing and helping one another. It is about meeting new people and opening your mind to new things.

So, regardless of what kind of republic you want, and regardless of who your Queen or King happens to be, I hope you are enjoying Matariki in a way makes you happy. To be having Matariki on the same weekend as Queen's Birthday is for me a fitting tribute to the ability Matariki has to transcend all our differences and celebrate those things every New Zealander can share in. 

While the light of Queen's Birthday slowly fades from the night sky, the seven stars of Matariki are lighting up a future we can all share in.