Traditional Hawaiian culture and the customs of Hawaii's ethnically
diverse immigrants are an integral part of the social fabric.
This is not simply a place where East meets West, but a place
where the cultures merge in a manner which seems to bring
out the best in all of them.
The
revival of traditional Hawaiian culture has seen an explosion
of Hula halaus (schools) and many Hawaiian artists and craftspeople
are returning to traditional mediums and themes such a tapa
weaving, quilt making and the creation of colorful Flower
Leis.
Aloha
Aina
Aloha aina
means love of the land. It is the profound respect we have
for Hawaii and the care we take to protect our Islands.
Aina means that the land is the source of our food. In that
sense, then, the land is what gives us sustenance; it is Hawaii
that sustains us. We who live in the Islands walk upon its
earth, breathe its air, drink its water, and eat the food
it provides. Hawaii is within us, a part of us. If we defile
Hawaii, it is as if we defile ourselves.
Aloha Aina
is shared with visitors so they, too, will respect Hawaii
and treat the islands with care.
Hawaiian
Language
English is the dominant language in Hawaii, but it is infused
with Hawaiian words, phrases and pidgin slang. The Hawaiian
language is only spoken by an estimated 9000 people, but 85%
of all local place names are Hawaiian and they often have
interesting stories behind them. Hawaii's early immigrants
communicated with each other in pidgin, a stripped and simplified
form of English which survives today as a lively, ever-changing
local slang.
Hawaiian Music
Music has always played a central role in Hawaiian culture.
In early Hawai'i, mele, or chant, was the most important means
of remembering myths of gods and deeds of powerful people.
Today, Hawaiians continue to use music to define themselves
and celebrate aloha 'aina, or love of land.
Western string instruments and Christian hymns, or himeni,
introduced to Hawai'i in the nineteenth century, transformed
earlier forms of Hawaiian music and provided ingredients for
new musical forms. At the beginning of the twentieth century,
a newly created tourist industry began to employ musicians
and hundreds of Hapa-haole, or half Hawaiian-half English,
tunes were composed. These songs reflected some aspects of
the older traditions but were primarily a popular commercial
genre. Hawaiian music was transformed by the success of these
songs on the American mainland.
Steel guitars
were originally invented and popularized in Hawaii. Legend
has it that Joseph Kekuku, a Hawaiian schoolboy, discovered
the sound while walking along a railroad track strumming his
guitar. He picked up a bolt lying by the track and slid the
metal along the strings of his guitar. Intrigued by the sound,
he taught himself to play using the back of a knife blade.
Other persons
who have been credited with the invention of the steel guitar
include Gabriel Davion, an Indian sailor, around 1885, and
James Hoa, a Hawaiian of Portuguese ancestry.
Hawaiian groups
were a big hit at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition
in San Francisco. From there the sound of the Hawaiian guitar
spread throughout the United States. From about 1915 to 1930,
a large number of Hawaiian guitar methods and songs were published
by the major music publishers.
The sound of
the Hawaiian guitar was picked up and incorporated into blues
and country music. From there, the steel guitar slid its way
into rock, pop, African and Indian music.
Hawaiian
Cooking
The islands' ethnic diversity makes eating out a real treat.
You can find every kind of Japanese food, an array of regional
Chinese cuisine, spicy Korean specialties, native Hawaiian
dishes and excellent Thai and Vietnamese food. Fresh fish
is readily available throughout the islands as well as an
abundance of fruit including avocado, coconut, guava, mango
and papaya.
Hawaiian
Mythes & Stories
Madame Pele
(PEH-le) This powerful volcano goddess is said to make her
home in the Halemaumau firepit of Kilauea Volcano. Remove
a souvenir rock from her home and legend has it you will be
plagued by bad luck.
Maui (MOW-wee) This demigod is the brother of Madame Pele.
Maui is said to have lassoed the sun in order to slow it down
and make the days longer on the island of Maui. For this reason,
his home in the crater of Haleakala is called the House of
the Sun.
King Kamehameha the Great (ka-MEH-ha-MEH-ha) This brave warrior
king united the Hawaiian Islands under one rule in 1795. The
Kamehameha dynasty lasted until 1872, through the reign of
Kamehameha V.
Queen Liliuokalani (li-LEE-u-OH-ka-LAH-ni) She was Hawaii's
only reigning queen and the islands' last monarch, ruling
until 1893. This multi-talented woman wrote Aloha Oe, Hawaii's
beloved farewell song.
Menehune (MEH-ne-HOO-ne) These impish mythical figures are
the Hawaiian cousins of Ireland's leprechauns. They are said
to do good deeds during the night, such as digging fishponds.
The legend of the menehune was most likely inspired by an
ancient tribe that died out long ago.
Nene (NEH-ne) This large goose is Hawaii's state bird. The
endangered nene geese make their homes in volcanic regions.
Biologists believe the birds originally were attracted to
the volcanoes' lava pits, which resembled the lakes and ponds
geese favor.
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (HOO-mu-HOO-mu-NOO-ku- NOO-ku-AH-pu-WAH-a)
Made famous in the song Little Grass Shack, this tiny fish
with the big name is Hawaii's official state fish.
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