Matariki

Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki) and refers to the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, constellation which reappears in New Zealand very low in the north-eastern sky just at the tail of the Milky Way in the last days of May or in early June. The reemergence of the stars indicate the next year's harvest. If the stars are brisk and clear, the season will be plentiful, if they are dull and blurry it will be sparse. However, there is no specific, set date to celebrate Matariki, depending on the iwi, some celebrate it as soon as the stars are spotted, while others wait until the rising of the next full moon, or alternatively the dawn of the next new moon (June 24th).
The myths of Matariki vary greatly depending on the iwi, Some say that when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother were separated by their offspring, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became angry, tearing out his eyes and hurling them into the heavens. Others say Matariki is the mother star surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi and Ururangi.
One account explains that Matariki and her daughters appear in the end of May to assist the sun, Te Rā, whose winter journey from the north has left him weakened, this obviously coincides with the winter solstice and the slow ascent into longer days. Since the new year occurs at the start of winter, it is commonly a time of reflection and planning for the new year, as well as a time to appreciate the past.
To date, Matariki is not a recognized holiday in New Zealand (which is pretty fucked) but in 2001 the Maori Language Commission teamed up with the Ministry of Education and the Museum of New Zealand to highlight the importance of Matariki as an integral part of Maori language regeneration.