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Helpful Articles - Hawaii Culture

Hawaii residents speak more than 130 languages. Among that list is Pidgin, officially recognized as Hawaiian Pidgin English by the Census Bureau. Pidgin originated as a way for waves of immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, Portugal, the Philippines, Europe, and other origin points to communicate with Native Hawaiians and each other once they arrived in Hawaii. According to census data, more than 1,200 Hawaii residents speak Pidgin at home today. You’ll also hear Pidgin words and phrases sprinkled into everyday conversation all over Hawaii. Now, if you didn’t grow up speaking Pidgin, we don’t suggest you start now. (Trust us on this one.) However, if...

As you spend time in Hawaii, you’ll hear certain Hawaiian words over and over again: mahalo (thank you), aloha (used for “hello” and “goodbye” but also carries a deeper meaning), kokua (help), e komo mai (welcome), ohana (family)—and pono. Like many words in the Hawaiian language, the full meaning of pono is complex. And like aloha, it doesn’t have a simple English equivalent. However, after great consideration, researcher and scholar Malcolm Naea Chun named pono the greatest Hawaiian value. As such, it’s a word—and a concept—that’s more than worthy of further exploration. In this article, we’ll explore the complex meaning of pono. We’ll also offer...

Today, many people know Hawaii as the 50th state. However, if you know your history, you’d also recognize the fact that the Hawaiian Kingdom was formerly an independent monarchy. It was overthrown by a coup d’etat in 1893, annexed by the United States in 1898, and administered as a U.S. territory until it became a state in 1959. Looking even further back into Hawaii’s history, the islands were settled as early as 400 CE, when initial voyagers from the Marquesas Islands arrived to the island chain. By the time Europeans arrived in Hawaii in the late 18th century, the native Hawaiians they encountered had spent...

Hawaii has long been recognized as the capital of surfing. Accounts written by Europeans who visited the Hawaiian Islands in the late 18th century described this pastime, which, like many aspects of Hawaiian society, was significantly stratified. Hawaii’s royalty enjoyed long boards made of wiliwili trees—as well as priority on waves. Commoners’ boards were made of koa wood. If a commoner dropped in on one of the alii—or stole a wave—it was a serious violation, punishable by death. Given this long history—and the plethora of surf breaks in Hawaii—it’s no surprise that the state turns out a considerable number of talented surfers, some of whom...

Is there a more quintessential Hawaii gesture than the shaka? If you’ve never thrown one yourself, give it a try: Curl your middle three fingers toward your palm, then extend your thumb and pinky. Now, making the gesture is easy. The real trick is to find your shaka style—and get comfortable with it. The first few times you throw a shaka, it will probably feel stiff. With practice, though, you’ll find just the right amount of looseness and familiarity you need to use this gesture the way it was intended—to spread aloha. If you’re already living in Hawaii, you’ve probably seen the shaka in all...

Last Updated: August, 6 2024   If you’re considering a move to Hawaii, you might wonder about your new neighbors. In Hawaii, you’ll find people of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but they’ve all got one thing in common the warm Aloha spirit. In fact, one of the most fun and rewarding parts of moving to the Aloha State can be getting to know the members of your new community and discovering their personal stories. Within these communities, you’ll also spot a few folks who might make you do a double take: the celebrities who have decided to make their homes in Hawaii (or simply...