Category: Hawaii Culture & Happenings

For visitors to Hawaii, luau productions are a fun way to experience the hula-dancing, smiling Polynesian trope most people around the world are familiar with. Plastic flower lei, industrial amounts of luau food, a boisterous emcee: all of these have long been associated with the common perception of Hawaii by those who don’t know better. […]

There are two different arts festivals taking place on Oahu this month, PowWow! Hawaii and the Oahu Fringe festival. Pow!Wow! Hawaii focuses on the visual arts with a musical element, and the Oahu Fringe festival features performance art, music, dance, and theater. Pow!Wow! Hawaii is a series of events that feature gallery shows, lecture series, […]

The coming weekend brings one of Oahu’s most popular events, attracting thousands of residents each year, the Punahou School Carnival. Like the annual Lantern Floating Festival, the 4th of July Fireworks at Magic Island, and the Aloha Festivals Parade, the carnival is a quintessential part of life for countless Oahu families. It’s a yearly ritual, […]

How do you say Happy New Year in Hawaii? Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou! But how do you ring in the New Year in Hawaii? We have 3 traditions for celebrating island style! Happy New Year in Hawaii When the New Year rolls around in Hawaii, we celebrate it in a variety of ways. House parties or […]

The annual Honolulu City Lights Parade took place over the weekend, with thousands of residents and visitors making the trek from River Street in Chinatown. The route takes participants through Chinatown and Downtown’s business districts, past Iolani Palace and on to the grounds of Honolulu Hale, the seat of the City and County of Honolulu. […]

It probably comes as no surprise that Hawaii is a paradise for fishing enthusiasts. The clean, clear and warm waters and countless miles of coastline offer almost limitless opportunity for anglers throughout the year. It is true that Hawaii waters are abundant with reef and game fish, but years of overfishing and questionable fisheries management […]

Like many indigenous cultures the world over, native Hawaiians celebrate the harvest season. And like those other indigenous cultures, the Hawaiian makahiki is meant to celebrate the year’s bounty as well as to honor the god Lono, who is commonly associated with rain and the fertility of the land. Full of feasting and games, tribute, […]

When I was growing up, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I would be excited about it for weeks in advance, thinking about roaming the neighborhoods with my friends in costume, collecting candy and then gorging ourselves with chocolate once back at home. I’ve been Peter Pan, a fox, a Dalmatian, Little Red Riding […]

Many travelers are aware of a location’s specialty. Like the wines of Bordeaux, the BBQ flavors of Korea or the wild salmon of Alaska. In Hawaii, a few notorious things come to mind- tropical fruits, fresh fish and shave ice. But the islands also have a variety of other artisanal items that rival places like […]

One of the things that give Hawaii its enormously rich cultural heritage is its sprawling mythology. It is a mythology as full of love and lust, of conquest and loss, of heroism and betrayal, as any of the classical Greek or Roman myths that most literate people in the western world are familiar with. Each […]

Whether you are traveling the islands or simply daydreaming about a vacation, there’s one thing to instantly put you in an Aloha state of mind: music. There are many famous songs about Hawaii, along with some less popular gems that you’ll love — here are our favorites! Check them out and let us know which […]

Visitors to Hawaii planning activities while here could certainly be forgiven for overlooking a night taking in some stand-up comedy. After all, it’s our pristine beaches, crystal clear waters, breathtaking scenery, and (mostly) perfect weather that get top billing. And why not? Hawaii is among the most beautiful places in all the world. But beyond […]