Local Snacks: A New Series on Hawaii Traditions

New Years Cleaning, A Hawaii Tradition

Saturday, January 2, 2010 21:06

Question: For a child, what’s worse than having to clean up your room? Answer: Having to really, really, really clean up your room every year, all before December 30th.
The New Year’s house cleaning that is an annual tradition in many households in Hawaii has it’s roots in Japanese culture. General housecleaning, called “osoji” in Japanese [...]

Hawaii Celebrations: New Years, Hawaii Style

Friday, January 1, 2010 20:31

Perhaps no other place in the world celebrates the new year as we do, here in Hawaii. Some aspects of our new year’s celebration are similar the world over; the family and friends that gather, the food, the children running around underfoot and even in some places in the world—fireworks. Somehow, what makes Hawaii’s new [...]

The Aloha Spirit

Thursday, October 8, 2009 2:00

We’ve all heard the word aloha. This term is used in every day life, whether it’s greeting a family, friend, or stranger.  This is the basic usage of the word, however aloha is so much more than that. It means love, compassion,  grace, and kindness.  The English language does not have a synonym, but perhaps [...]

Hawaii Culture: Portuguese Horseshoe

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 2:00

I’m not quite sure when this sport came about but, it’s definitely part of Hawaii’s culture.  Being half Portuguese, and not meant to offend, the name of this rising sport is called “Portagee Horseshoe”.
About 7 years ago I attended a barbecue at a friends house and he brought out (2) square wooden box covered with [...]

For the Keiki & Ohana: The Honolulu Academy of Arts

Thursday, October 1, 2009 17:50

For the Keiki and Ohana
Where can you go with your keiki to make ceramic green dragons, bubble art and paper mache hot air balloons? Why, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, of course!  Hand in hand with my 5 year old son, we gleefully went to classes one day a week during this past summer and [...]

Hula Around the World

Monday, September 14, 2009 10:00

Hula
My journey to Boston was a most exhausting one–my arrival was delayed eighteen hours thanks to engine problems and missed connecting flights.  However, I do not feel it was an entirely unprofitable experience, as I met some interesting characters on my flight.  One of them was a very gregarious, chain-smoking hula dancer from Maryland.  She [...]

For the Keiki & Ohana: A New Hawaii Traditions Series on Family Fun

Sunday, September 13, 2009 13:33

For the Keiki and Ohana

During the summer when everyone in my family was on vacation, the beach became relegated to many late afternoons, when the sun was low and less intense. The question quickly became what to do with these wriggly, restless little ones the rest of the day. After all, my two young sons [...]

Aloha Harvard

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 11:09

One of my most vivid memories of Freshman Week is very hungrily walking into Annenberg Hall with my parents and finding a poster for Aloha Harvard, the welcome back event of the year.  I’m not sure if the welcome back event is Hawaiian-themed every year, but I was nevertheless pleasantly surprised to see this reminder [...]

Hawaii in the year 2000 and Beyond

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 16:21

History

The events of September 11, 2001 overshadowed and indeed, defined the turning of a new millennium. The world would mourn again when an accident on the space shuttle Columbia killed all seven astronauts upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. However, tragedy would give way to overwhelming triumph when Barack Obama was elected President of the [...]