Ancient Hawaiians loved scary stories. The ancient Hawaiians did not have the Christian idea of All Hallow’s Eve, sometimes known as Halloween. But, they did have equally intimidating characters with whom they told stories. The scary stories would often be told at night, sitting around the open fire, in much the same way as… Read more »
If you have been to Maui, you have been to Lāhainā. Lāhainā has been rich, colorful, and vibrant since it was called Lele in ancient times. The town was chosen as the royal capital in 1820 by King Kamehameha the Great. It remained the capital until 1845. It was a very sad day when an… Read more »
When I was growing up, the first three things I remember hearing about Hawai’i were: Maui Wai’ānapanapa Black Sand Beach Lāhainā* I didn’t know at the time that to see these three things meant I only had to go to one island, the island of Maui. That one island would be enough to fulfill my… Read more »
Did you know that Hawai’i has 2 breeds of indigenous butterflies? Over 1000 butterfly species that call Hawai’i home have been recorded through the years. Of all these butterflies, there are two native species and about fifteen alien species which dominate the island chain. An authentic native butterfly, The Kamehameha Butterfly, is the official Hawai’i… Read more »
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 »
One day around lunchtime you suddenly have a craving for some Poke (poh-kay). In Hawai’i, you would say: “I am so ono for Poke!” Your friends would immediately understand and probably agree with you. Someone in the group would set off for the neighborhood market and pick up some fresh Poke, perhaps a few Poke… Read more »
Someone found out that I had once lived on an old coffee plantation on the Big Island. So, they asked me, “How did coffee end up being grown in Hawai’i?” As I pondered this question, I thought about when going to get a good cup of coffee at a cafe on Maui was a rare… Read more »
Subscription Box Companies began in 2004. One of the earliest examples of these companies was called The Sampler. It offered samples of products from independent web-based artists, crafters, zines, and specialty shops. The early subscription box business model worked like this: The company sends you a package every month or 3 (depending on your subscription) … 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 »
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 »
