Briar JonesPrint our Matariki Star template at home and follow the instructions to make your own Matariki Star!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
You Will Need:
– Printed Matariki Star template. We have options for coloured print-outs and colouring in. Matariki Stars can be made single-sided.
– Colouring pens, pencils, crayons (optional)
Watch our tutorial video below
Matariki is the Māori name for a cluster of stars seen in the Southern skies in winter. Every July Matariki will re-appear in the sky which signals the start of the Māori New Year.
Matariki is a star cluster. Star clusters are groups of stars that are connected and held together by gravity. A constellation is a group of stars that appear to be close together in an imaginary outline or pattern, but they may actually be very far apart. Māhutonga, also known as the Southern Cross or Crux, is an example of a constellation.
Of the nine stars of Matariki visible to us, each of the whetū are associated with an aspect of wellbeing and the environment in te ao Māori. The nine visible stars include Matariki, Tupuārangi, Waipuna-ā-Rangi, Waitī, Tupuānuku, Ururangi, Waitā, Pōhutukawa and Hiwa-i-te-Rangi.
Read more about the Matariki star cluster here, and here’s another really awesome video. Have fun making your own and, remember, keep reaching for the stars!
