Free coffee to mark Matariki

Matariki is the start of the New Year in the Maori lunar calendar. It is also the name Maori gave to the star cluster named the Pleiades. The first rising of the Matariki star cluster is in late June or early July. After a century of declining interest in the celebration of Matariki, the 1990s saw the development of recognition of the potential for something unique to Aotearoa/New Zealand. Almost 30 years later, the Government led by Jacinda Ardern announced that Matariki would be observed by way of a public holiday, and many local celebrations, both large and small. 

As tomorrow is the Public Holiday, and the community mental health centre where I work four afternoons a week will be closed, the DHB organised for a coffee van to provide free coffees to staff at lunch time to day. I was just in time to enjoy a long black. The barista may have the ability to become the super hero painted on the side of her van, or not. She graciously approved of me taking this photo.