今日は夏至[げし](= summer solstice)です－これは北半球[きたはんきゅう](= the Northen Hemisphere)のことで、我々[われわれ]ニュージーランドは、南半球[みなみはんきゅう](= the Southern Hemisphere)ですから、冬至[とうじ](= winter solstice)です。
It is the Summer Solstice today – of course, this is the case in the Northen Hemisphere. We, New Zealand people, have the Winter Sostice today.
日本では、夏至[げし]の日に、キャンドルナイトのイベントをするところが多いです。電気[でんき]を消[け]して、キャンドルの火[ひ]で夜[よる]を過[す]ごします。数年前[すうねんまえ]から始[はじ]まったイベントです。地域[ちいき](-= region)によっては、夏至の日にタコ(= octopus)を食べるという習慣[しゅうかん](= custom)があるところがあります。これは古い習慣[しゅうかん]です。
ニュージーランドでは、このころマタリキのお祝[いわ]いをします。マタリキとは、マオリの新年[しんねん]のことです。以下[いか]にNZ政府[せいふ](= government)のウェブサイトから、マタリキの説明[せつめい](= explanation)を引用[いんよう]します(= to quote)。
日本は暑[あつ]く、ニュージーランドは寒[さむ]いですが、みなさん、元気でお過[す]ごしください。
Many people and organisations in Japan hold an event called 'Candle Night' today. They turn off all electric lights and spend their night with candles. This event started recently. There are some other old traditional custom – people in some regions eat octopus around the summer solstice!
People in New Zealand celebrate 'Matariki': Maori New Year around this time of the year. I will quote an explanation about Matariki from the website ran by the New Zealand Government.
It is hot in Japan and cold in New Zealand – I wish everybody good health and prosperity.
What is Matariki?
Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster known as the Pleiades. Traditionally for Māori when it appeared just before dawn in late May or early June, it signalled the start of the Māori New Year. For some tribes, the rising of Puanga (Rigel in Orion) signals the start of the New Year. In the early 2000s Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission), the Ministry of Education and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, became involved in the revival of Matariki celebrations.
(quoted from this website)