For countless generations, the sound of the pū* would broadcast the arrival of Ali’i*, the beginning of protocols, the coming of canoes, and the setting or rising of the sun. It was even used to call Ke Akua*! In more modern times, it calls a gathering to attention at the beginning of an event, blesses… Read more »
Category: Hawaiian Customs
64 Years – Join in the Paniolo Fun!
Everyone loves a parade! We have heard that saying for ages. When it comes to parades, people on Maui are no different. Especially the residents of Makawao town, where local people have gathered for the last 64 years to participate in a four-day event, the colorful July 4th Paniolo* Parade and Rodeo! The town spends… Read more »
Celebrating Over 130 Years of Japanese Bon Dance in Hawai’i
Bon Odori, AKA Bon Dance, originally from Japan, has been a Hawaiian tradition for over 130 years. Bon Odori is a style of folk dance performed at festivals in Japan during the Obon season. Deeply important and influential in Japanese culture, Obon is as important as other cultures’ New Years celebrations. The Obon season in… Read more »
Every May, Focus Is on a Great Achievement – Diverse Cultural Heritage
In many of our blogs, we talk about the preservation of all things Hawaiian. If the preservation work had not begun decades ago, we would not know all the beautiful things about Hawai’i that we know now. So much would have been lost forever. Beginning in the late 1940s, a small group came together in… Read more »
May Day in Hawai’i Represents an Age-Old Custom – Here Are 3 Exquisite Lei Flowers
The May Day holiday was started long ago as a festival to celebrate the return of Spring in the northern hemisphere. The earliest known May Day celebrations appeared with the Festival of Flora in Rome. Side note: Flora or Floralia is the Roman Goddess of Flowers. The early Roman festivals also celebrated Dionysis and Aphrodite… Read more »
May in Maui – Enjoy Springtime, Mother’s Day, and Magic
Like most places in the world, springtime in May is an exceptionally wonderful time of the year in Maui. However, people who have not spent any significant time in Hawai’i imagine that the whole year must feel like springtime. Which is not really true. Summer is a little hotter with slightly longer days, and winter… Read more »
Kūlia i ka nu‘u – Strive for the Highest
Every Year at Temptation Tours we take some time to reflect upon how we have grown as a company and a family, along with checking in on our service to our guests. We look back on the high points, new friends we have made, and the… Read more »
The Language of the Heart and the Passionate Heartbeat of the Hawaiian People – The History of The Merrie Monarch Festival
50 years ago, an immense tsunami would change the life of Hula forever. The 35-foot waves of the 1960 tsunami bent parking meters to the ground and wiped away many buildings in the city of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai’i. 61 people died, and Hilo’s economy was crushed. Four years later, in… Read more »
3 Reasons Why The Road to Hana is Recognized Around the World
We get this question ALL the time – why should we go all the way to Hana? What is so special about The Road to Hana? Perhaps you’re not sure you really want to go there? Maybe you want to go but don’t know how to convince a family member who questions the whole thing…. Read more »
5 Hawaiian Customs That Will Enhance Your Appreciation of Hawai’i
One of the things the residents of Hawai’i love most about our Island Home is the rich, multicultural traditions and customs. We share these customs with our friends, neighbors, and communities. Whether it’s the 4th generation Japanese, making hand-made mochi for the New Year, or the Dragon Dance for the Chinese New Year, there are… Read more »