Matariki Remembrance Service – A Time to Reflect and Remember

We warmly welcome you and your whānau to join us for our annual Matariki Remembrance Service on Wednesday 8 July at 5pm, held at the Hospice Tairāwhiti building on Ormond Road. 

Matariki is a time to slow down, reflect, and come together. It marks the Māori New Year and is a time to look back on what has been, to gently look ahead, and to give thanks for the gifts of the natural world that sustain us. 

It is also a deeply important time for remembrance. A time to think of those we have loved and lost, to reflect on who they were, and to honour the ways they continue to shape our lives. In remembering them, we keep them close. 

Within the Matariki cluster, Pōhutukawa is the star connected to those who have passed. As the eldest of the Matariki stars, she calls us to remember the ones we have lost, offering a quiet space for reflection and remembrance. In te ao Māori, this is a time when loved ones are thought to be gathered and carried onward on their journey, held among the stars. 

Our annual Remembrance Service is a gentle and supportive space to come together in aroha. A time to pause, to reflect, and to honour the memories of those we hold dear. 

If you joined us in recent months to create woven remembrance stars, you are welcome to bring them along, along with any messages you may wish to share. If you feel comfortable, these can be included in a gentle fire ceremony, where the smoke carries your thoughts and dedications to Matariki and to Pōhutukawa. 

People may no longer be here in the way they once were, but they remain with us in memory, love, and reflection. 

Please RSVP by 1 July for catering purposes
06 869 0552
hospice@hospicetairawhiti.org.nz