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Matariki in the Workplace
Matariki, also known as the Māori New Year, is a celebration of life, renewal, and community. Celebrated in mid-winter when the star cluster, also known as the Pleiades, rises in the pre-dawn sky, Matariki provides a unique opportunity to inject new energy into your office environment and foster greater unity among employees. Here are three innovative ways to celebrate Matariki in your office!
Mid-Winter Pot Luck
Food has always been at the heart of celebrations. To celebrate Matariki, organising a mid-winter potluck is an excellent way to involve everyone in the festivities. This event encourages team members to bring in a dish that represents their heritage or personal history, fostering cultural exchange and conversations that deepen relationships.
Encourage your team to consider meals that represent Aotearoa, anything from hangi (if they know how and where to prepare it) through to classic kaimoana (seafood) and kumara-based dishes. Matariki is also all about time spent with whānau, so you can encourage people to bring in food that is special to their family, no matter the culture.
Reflect on Goals and Achievements
Matariki is traditionally seen as a time of reflection, where one looks back on the year that was and plans for the year ahead. Incorporating this tradition into your office celebration offers an excellent opportunity for team members to share their personal and professional achievements and set new goals.
You can organise a "reflection session" where team members share a notable achievement from the past year and a goal they hope to achieve in the coming year. This not only promotes a culture of gratitude and ambition but also allows your team to understand and support each other's aspirations.
Weaving Together
Weaving, a significant aspect of Māori culture, represents unity, cooperation, and the creation of something new from individual elements. Inviting a local expert to teach a basic weaving workshop is an engaging and hands-on way to celebrate Matariki.
Your team can weave small traditional designs from Harakeke, or flax, such as flowers or fish, symbolising the fruits of the land and sea during Matariki. This activity can act as a metaphor for your team's work - every individual thread contributing to the whole, creating a stronger, more cohesive product. This is also an activity that reflects your company's values by using biodegradable materials for the workshop.
Celebrating Matariki in your office is a unique and engaging way to bring your team together. Whether it's through a cultural culinary experience, a moment of reflection, or the act of weaving, these activities will help to cultivate a stronger, more connected office culture. Embrace these traditions, and you will see their positive impact resonate throughout your team in the year ahead.
