Precious Hawaiian Customs and Traditions
Posted by Maris on 22nd Oct 2024
Native Hawaiians migrated to the Hawaiian Islands, where they lived and thrived for millennia, passing down cultural traditions and inventing new ones. With the arrival of a diverse group of people to the islands, including missionaries who converted many Hawaiians to Christianity and immigrant laborers who worked the sugar cane plantations, some Native Hawaiian traditions were widely adopted and evolved in the same pattern of assimilation, adaptation, and innovation that affected the culture of newcomers, resulting in a shared culture of diverse influences known simply as "local." However, many Native Hawaiian customs have been preserved and are still followed today.
Native Hawaiian Traditions
Honi it, or nose touching, is a customary way to welcome one another, whether it's a man and a woman, two men, or two women. It allows both persons to exchange air, which is the most significant life energy in Hawaiian culture, communicate smells, and convey a sense of intimacy in their connection.
The lei, made of flowers, bird feathers, shells, seeds, or hair, symbolizes Hawaiʻi. Leis, worn on top of the head or around the neck, were used ornamentally by Native Hawaiians, particularly chiefs, to indicate their rank. Giving a lei was a traditional ritual, although it differed from the ceremonial welcome that is now the local norm. The presentation style was also unique: the lei was knotted around the neck rather than cast over the head, recognizing the sacredness of a person's head and back.
Hula is a complicated art form that uses motions and chants to preserve historical events, genealogy, and mythology. It is a spiritual, serious pursuit that requires rigorous training, technical skill, and intellectual knowledge taught by respected kumu (teachers) who pass down and promote wisdom from a long line of masters. Unlike most hula performances today, hula was not intended to be a show and was frequently practiced secretly.
The value of mālama ʻāina (taking care of the land) reflects Hawaiians' deep connection to the land. It provided food, sustenance, and sustainability, so it was a tremendous privilege and duty, or kuleana, to care for it in return by being excellent stewards so that everyone, including future generations, may benefit from the abundance of the island's natural resources. Hawaiʻi's taro growers, fishpond caretakers, ecologists, and environmentalists continue to be motivated by this mindset.
Hawaiian parties are named pāʻina (dinner party) or ʻahaʻaina (feast). Still, a misunderstanding by 19th-century newspaper reporters gave these unusual celebrations the term lūʻau (the name for taro tops, a major element in Hawaiian cuisine), which stuck. Though not an ancient term, the feelings are similar: they drew people together to share good meals.
Immigrant laborers from China, Portugal, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands were transported to Hawaiʻi during a period of growth in the sugar business and plantations. This broad set of people living in close-knit communities formed a melting pot of cultures, resulting in a unique combination of customs with roots in many parts of the world, collectively known as "local."
Contemporary Local Customs
A hug and kiss on the cheek, derived from the traditional Hawaiian honi ihu, is a typical greeting in Hawaiʻi, whether meeting friends, relatives, or new people. Handshakes are still allowed at business meetings.
Understanding the language's semantics demonstrates respect for the island and its inhabitants. Use "Hawaiian" only when discussing Hawaiʻi's indigenous culture and people. Non-Hawaiians are known as "locals" or "kamaʻāina" ("child of the land").
Hawaiian Pidgin English is a Creole language developed when various immigrants and Hawaiians wanted to interact with one another. Uninformed listeners may perceive it as broken English because it combines words from various languages. It's better not to try Hawaiian Pidgin English unless you're fluent, as it could be interpreted as ridicule or disdain.
Wearing a flower tucked above your left ear (the same side as your heart) quietly communicates that you have a significant other, whereas a flower tucked above your right ear indicates that you are available. This ritual has no roots in Hawaiian culture, yet it's a charming local tradition.
It is not typical to use a car horn when driving in Hawaiʻi (unless you are honking to say hello). Instead, you are advised to wave or shake when someone allows you to enter their lane.
Bringing omiyage (gifts) from afar for relatives or friends is considered a nice gesture. Unlike a traditional memento, such as a magnet or postcard, the objective is to select products unavailable in the recipient's region, particularly food. For example, purchasing a box of macadamia nuts for a friend in Iowa, where they are uncommon, or delivering a box of specialty cookies to a friend on another island, where they are unavailable. In addition, food and gifts are exchanged for favors.
In terms of gifts, avoid taking rocks or sand from the beach and lava rocks from a volcano. Superstition holds that those who take them will be cursed, which most likely stems from Hawaiian culture's strong regard for rocks. In a lithic culture, stones were utilized for various purposes, including tools, fences, and dwellings; they might even be forms of deities. The ideal practice is to leave rocks exactly as you found them.
Take your shoes off before entering someone's home. Most homes in Hawaii follow this custom. Observing the customs shows respect for your hosts and keeps the dirt outside.
Give someone a lei as a welcome present or say "a hui hou" (until we meet again). Lei are also suitable gifts for graduations, birthdays, and other special occasions. It is a bad omen to give a pregnant woman a closed lei (a depiction of an umbilical cord wrapping around a child's neck), so request that the florist create it open-ended.
A person's humility is often valued more than their connections or financial worth. In Hawaiʻi, wearing expensive attire or name-dropping can be seen as arrogance, not pride.