What is open on Matariki and is there a surcharge?

Kathryn George/Stuff

What is and isn’t open this Matariki.

It’s just the second time New Zealand is recognising Matariki as a public holiday.

So what can and can’t open on Friday, and will you get hit with yet another public holiday surcharge?

Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as Pleiades.

In mid-winter the stars rise and for many Māori it marks the start of the Māori lunar calendar, or Māori New Year.

It is a day for remembrance, celebration and looking to the future.

The Government created the new public holiday for Aotearoa by passing the Te Ture mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o Te Kāhui o Matariki / Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act last year.

Like Easter, the date of Matariki will change from year to year, but it will always fall in June or July and on the closest Friday to the Tangaroa lunar calendar period.

The first Matariki public holiday was in June last year.

Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) is at the heart of celebrations of the public holiday.

By law, shops must close only for three-and-a-half days a year – Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday (depending on local councils) and until 1pm on Anzac Day.

This means there is no obligation to be closed on Matariki so stores including retail, cafes, restaurants as well as activity-based outlets such as museums, galleries and pools can open. Some council-run facilities will be closed.

But, as with any public holiday, stores can remain closed if they wish. Some smaller businesses may opt to do this as they will need to pay staff who work time-and-a-half.

Nobody will be safe from the ole’ surcharge on Matariki.

As with any public holiday, the cost of opening and paying staff time-and-a-half puts pressure on businesses.

Many employers, particularly those in the hospitality sector, choose to cover the expense through a 15% public holiday surcharge.

The Commerce Commission said a surcharge must be clearly disclosed so customers knew what to expect before they paid.

The reason for any surcharge must be accurately described and not be misleading.

If customers believed they had been misled about a surcharge, they could complain to the Commerce Commission.

Probably not.

The Matariki Advisory Committee, led by Dr Rangi Mātāmua, warned the Government that one of the major concerns ahead of making it a public holiday was commercialisation.

Skye Kimura, chief executive of Tātou also launched a campaign in 2022 called Matariki is not for sale, to try and get businesses to treat the day with respect and not as a sales opportunity.

Last month both Mātāmua and Kimura called out UK-based wine-seller Laithwaites, which ran a Matariki Māori New Year sale on its alcohol. The business later apologised.