A Matariki Giftin Aotearoa.
Matariki — the Māori new year, marked by the rising of the Matariki cluster in mid-winter — has become a national moment in Aotearoa. It is a time for remembrance of those who have passed, for gratitude for the year behind, and for the setting of intentions for the year ahead. The right gift for Matariki acknowledges that weight rather than treating the moment as decoration.
Three Matariki gifts that honour the moment
- Night Sky Print of the Matariki cluster at rising. The Night Sky Personalised Star Map Print can be rendered for the exact date and hour of Matariki rising in your rohe. The literal sky of the year turning, held on the wall. Framed for the family home, or gifted to whanau overseas.
- Pounamu with whakapapa. Pieces from Objects That Remain — sourced with cultural integrity, each carrying its own whakapapa. Pounamu given at Matariki carries the year forward with cultural weight. Traditional, considered, unmistakably of Aotearoa.
- Moon Phase Print of the Matariki rising night. The Moon Phase Print — the moon on the night of Matariki. Quieter than the Night Sky. For families who want the piece to sit gently in the room.
Why the Matariki cluster print works: the stars themselves are the point of the celebration. A Forever Print rendering the cluster at the exact moment it rose in your rohe is not decorative — it is literal. The sky the family celebrated under, hung on the wall for the year to come.
Matariki gift ideas by relationship
- For whanau overseas. A Night Sky print of the Matariki cluster rising over their childhood home in Aotearoa — carrying te tau hou Māori across the world.
- For a new arrival to Aotearoa. Pounamu with whakapapa as a welcome to the year Māori in their new home country.
- For a milestone Matariki (retirement, marriage, birth in the year past). Pounamu paired with a Forever Print of the meaningful date. Cultural weight plus personal weight.
- For a corporate or educational context. Framed timber Forever Print of the Matariki cluster over your city — for boardroom, foyer or classroom. Contact us for bulk pricing.
- For those who have lost someone in the year past. Pounamu with whakapapa. In te ao Māori, Matariki is the time to remember those who have gone. Pounamu given at this moment carries them forward.
The tikanga around Matariki gifting
Matariki is a time of remembrance, gratitude and intention. Gifts given at Matariki should acknowledge one or more of these. A Forever Print of the Matariki cluster acknowledges the moment of the new year. Pounamu acknowledges endurance and the carrying-forward of those who have gone. Both are appropriate.
What is generally not appropriate: gifts that use Māori imagery as decoration without cultural weight, or that treat Matariki as a marketing moment rather than the significant cultural event it is. EMBER's pounamu is sourced with cultural integrity, and our Matariki cluster prints render the actual astronomical data of the rising — no stylisation, no shortcuts.
Matariki pieces fromEMBER
The sky of the year turning. Pounamu with whakapapa. Made in Aotearoa.
Night Sky Print of the Matariki cluster
Rendered for the exact date and hour of Matariki rising in your rohe. From $95.
See the print →Pounamu — Objects That Remain
For te tau hou Māori. With whakapapa.
Browse the collection →Moon Phase Print of Matariki rising
Quieter, for gentler placement in the home. From $95.
See the print →Matariki corporate gifting
For boardroom, foyer or delegate gifting. Bulk pricing.
Contact us →Matariki gifts, honestly answered
What is a good Matariki gift in New Zealand?+
A Night Sky Forever Print of the Matariki cluster at rising, or pounamu with whakapapa. Both acknowledge te tau hou Māori — the year turning — with the cultural weight the moment deserves. Made in Aotearoa. Free NZ delivery over $180.
What can I give for te tau hou Māori?+
A considered piece that honours remembrance, gratitude or intention — the three registers of Matariki. A Forever Print of the cluster's rising, pounamu with whakapapa, or a Moon Phase print of the Matariki night.
Is pounamu appropriate as a Matariki gift?+
Yes. Pounamu given at Matariki carries the year forward with cultural weight. It is particularly considered for those who have lost someone in the year past, or as a marker for a milestone that occurred in the year gone.
Can I get a print of the Matariki cluster for my rohe?+
Yes. EMBER Night Sky prints can be rendered for the exact date and hour of Matariki rising in your rohe — the literal sky of the moment of the new year, held on the wall for the year ahead.
What is an appropriate Matariki gift for whanau overseas?+
A Night Sky print of the Matariki cluster rising over their childhood home in Aotearoa — carrying te tau hou Māori across the world to where they are now.
Can NZ businesses give Matariki gifts to staff or clients?+
Yes — and increasingly this is a considered corporate gifting moment in NZ. Framed timber Forever Prints of the Matariki cluster over your city work well for boardroom, foyer, or delegate presentations. Bulk pricing available.