Editing Matariki (section)

=== Offering of food ===
An important part of the celebration was {{Lang|Mi|whāngai i te hautapu}}, a ceremonial offering of food to the stars. The reasoning was that Matariki, after shepherding the spirits of the dead up from the underworld and turning the sun back from the winter solstice, would be weak and in need of sustenance. A small [[hāngī]] or earth oven was built, with heated stones in a pit on which was placed food, a layer of leaves, and earth. The uncovering of the cooked food released steam which rose into the sky and fed the stars, the steam being the {{Lang|Mi|hautapu}} or sacred offering.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|69–70}} The food was chosen to correspond with the domains of the stars in Matariki: these might include [[Sweet potato|kūmara]] for Tupuānuku, a bird for Tupuārangi, freshwater fish for Waitī, and shellfish for Waitā. The offering of food was the final part of the ceremony, which ended at sunrise.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|69–70}}

The Matariki ceremony was followed by days of festivities – song, dance, and feasting – known as {{Lang|Mi|te mātahi o te tau}} ("the first fruits of the year"), celebrating prosperity, life, and the promise of the year to come.<ref name="Matamua" />{{rp|72–73}}