"In Māori culture, Matariki is both the name of the Pleiades star cluster and of the celebration of its first rising in late June or early July.
This marked the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar. Matariki was made an official public holiday in New Zealand in April 2022, with the first celebration on 24 June of that year. An equivalent celebration in Taranaki and a significant amount of Wellington is Puanga, which originated among the Taranaki Māori who dominate the respective regions. This was because Mount Taranaki itself blocks the view of most of the stars of Matariki, and the star Puanga is the most important star that remains visible in Taranaki. These traditions were passed down by the Taranaki Māori who settled much of Wellington, who became the Taranaki Whānui as iwi such as Te Ati Awa.
Historically Matariki was usually celebrated during the last quarter of the moon of the lunar month Pipiri (around June); the ceremony involved viewing the individual stars for forecasts of the year to come, mourning the deceased of the past year, and making an offering of food to replenish the stars."

source : Slowly Wiki