History says that quilting in Hawai’i began in the early 1800s when the first 7 missionaries arrived. Stunning quilts have been made in the unique Hawaiian Style for over 200 years. The quilts that have been made from those early days until now are unlike any quilts you will find anywhere. Quilts tend to bring… Read more »
Many a fiancé has dreamed of a beach wedding in Hawai’i. Adding the sounds of the beach, of the gentle surf as it whispers across the sand, makes the heart sing. So many brides and grooms have had that beach wedding dream come true! Looking at the numbers, there are approximately 22,000 weddings annually… Read more »
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 »
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 »
Endemic Hawaiian plants and flowers will typically thrive in their native environments. You do not have to go deep into the Hawaiian rainforests or to the edge of remote cliff faces finding exotic native flora in Hawai’i. Many beautiful flowering plants live along the beach where you go every day. They flourish in the sand,… Read more »
Hawaiian Arts is a vast subject, rich and varied, with intriguing stories and history reaching back almost 2000 years. That was when the nomadic Polynesians finally arrived at their last stop in their Pacific exploration and migration, the Hawaiian Islands. This journey covered over 16 MILLION square miles of open ocean, 137 islands, and took… Read more »
May Day is Lei Day in Hawai’i This is a song composed by Leonard “Red” Hawk in 1928 for the very first Lei Day festival. Listen to it HERE That’s right! Although giving and receiving Lei is an ancient tradition, Lei Day is only 93 years old. The tradition of Lei giving dates back… Read more »
Castles and Palaces are the dreams of children. Children’s bedtime stories are filled with Princes and Princesses, Kings and Queens. Walt Disney knew the importance of these dreams when he created the iconic Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. It is the epitome of branding success. It is recognized by people worldwide. In today’s blog, we tell you… Read more »
The Hula – it reaches inside your heart, to a place you may have forgotten, and calls forth distant emotions and memories. Visitors to Hawai’i, experiencing the Hula for the first time, are transfixed, pinned to their spot, eyes wide as the ancient chants call forth a forgotten past. From guttural growls to high, sing-song… Read more »
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 1964,… Read more »
