Matariki (Pleiades) is a constellation or cluster of many stars whose appearance just before dawn on the northeastern horizon towards the end of May each year, signals the completion of one year and the approach of another in the Māori Calendar. For some tribes, it is Puanga (Rigel), a star in the constellation of Orion, rising to the east of Matariki that holds this position.

Matariki as a system of time, begins with the first newmoon to follow the heliacal (dawn) rising of the constellation Matariki. The length of a Matariki Year is defined by the number of full lunar cycles that fall between the heliacal risings of Matariki from one year to the next. Each lunar cycle consists of 30 moon-nights (or 29.5 days).

Ko Matariki he kāhui whetu, he kāhui rerehua e kitea ana i te atapō i runga ake o te paerangi, ki te taha rāwhiti o te raki. Koia nei te tohu, arā te putanga o Matariki, he tohu mō te paunga o te tau tawhito me te tïmatatanga o te tau hōu, ko tēnei te tīmatatanga o te Maramataka Māori. Ki ētahi iwi anō, ko te whetu Puanga o te kāhui whetu Tautoro e kitea ana ki te taha rāwhiti o Matariki kē te mea whai tikanga.

Ko Matariki, he tikanga whakarite i ngā whenga o te wā, tīmata ana i a Whiro Hinamarama, te marama hōu tuatahi, e whai muri tonu mai nei i te putanga o Matariki. Ko te roanga o te tau o Matariki ka whakaritea i ngā huringa a tau o te marama, mai i te wā o te putanga o Matariki tae noa ki te poutanga o te tau. Toru tekau ngā pō o te Marama mō ia huringa a tau (arā, 29.5 ngā rā).