Why Does Hawaii Celebrate Prince Kuhio Day?
Posted by Maris on 20th Feb 2024
Hawaii has declared Prince Kuhio Day a state holiday, but do you know why this individual is so significant and why the occasion is observed? Let's discuss this amazing historical person and the various ways that he impacted Hawaii today.
Who Was Kuhio Prince?
Most notably, Prince Kuhio led the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act to pass. This reserved 200,000 acres of land for homesteads owned by Native Hawaiians.
In addition to founding the Hawaiian Civic Club and sponsoring the first measure for Hawaii's statehood, he spent twenty years as a non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
His Biography & Career
The last monarch of Kauai was the grandson of Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole. He was born in Kauai in 1871, and his uncle Kalākaua, the final monarch of the Hawaiian empire, later called him a prince.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Kuhio attended college in California, where he is recognized for having brought surfing to the United States. He traveled to Japan and attended an agricultural college in England. He was treated like a king when he traveled overseas. His birthday, Prince Kuhio Day, continues to recognize him as a Hawaiian aliʻi, or royal, to this day.
Kuhio joined the resistance movement when the Hawaiian Kingdom was toppled in 1893 and worked to reinstate the monarchy. He was a failure and was imprisoned for a year on treasonous allegations.
After being freed, he got married and went on trips, visiting both Europe and Africa.
After his return to Hawaii in 1902, he participated in the U.S. House of Representatives as a non-voting delegate until his passing in 1922.
Prince Kuhio Day: A Celebration
Prince Kuhio Day was declared an official state holiday in Hawaii in 1949. It is observed on March 26, his birthday, with the goal of honoring his legacy and his advocacy for the rights of Native Hawaiians.
On this holiday, a lot of state-run businesses and offices are closed, and the state celebrates the significant person in a number of ways. The days leading up to Prince Kuhio Day may witness parades, get-togethers, festivals, and special presentations.
Prince Kuhio's final resting place, Oahu's Royal Mausoleum, has unique services as well.
How does that affect your trip plans?
Check your schedule to make sure you don't have any plans to visit any establishments that day that will be closed. However, that would mostly apply to banks, schools, and government buildings.
On Prince Kuhio Day, transportation services will also operate on a holiday schedule. Thus, you must be informed if you intend to ride TheBus anyplace.
It also implies that you can come upon an enjoyable event that takes place just once a year. There will be food sellers, music and hula performances, and art exhibits at several of the festivals.
Unless your tour guide gets in touch with you, Hawaii activities that you booked via Hawaii Aloha Travel—like ziplining, hiking, and whale watching tours—will proceed as planned.
It's crucial to learn about Prince Kuhio Day and the guy it celebrates if you happen to be in Hawaii on that day. This also applies to all other Hawaii holidays: knowing about the significant figures in the state's past is a necessary component of honoring Hawaii culture.