The Te Ture mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki 2022/Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022 received royal assent on 11 April 2022. It sets the dates for observance of Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki/Matariki Observance Day for the next 30 years.

The holiday will always fall on a Friday, and will occur in June or July. The timing is linked to the rising of the star cluster Matariki in mid-winter.

Amendments are made to

• the Holidays Act 2003 (in Schedule 2)
• definitions of ‘working day’ and ‘business day’ in other Acts (in Schedule 3).

The background to Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki/Matariki Observance Day is explained in Section 3 Meaning and significance of Matariki to Māori:

The rising of Matariki launched the most significant celebration in the traditional Māori calendar, and its appearance continues to be honoured today with ritual and ceremony.

Three principles that guide the observance of Matariki are set out in the Act:

• remembrance: honouring those who have died since the last rising of Matariki
• celebrating the present: gathering together with family and friends
• looking to the future: looking forward to the promise of a new year.