Matariki conveys the Māori New Year, a time to be commemorated, not just by Māori but by all people in New Zealand. Matariki is an abbreviation for the Eyes of the God. It talks of the nine stars known as Pleiades, which rise on the horizon in the middle of winter. In days gone by, Matariki was the sign that it was a good time to fish, to gather seafood, to preserve wood, and to harvest and gather food. 