Year of Aloha
Aloha in the Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. Since the middle of the 19th century, it also has come to be used as an English greeting to say goodbye and hello.
It is also the state nickname of Hawaii, the "Aloha State".
The Hawaiian language (Hawaiian: is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii. King Kamehameha III established the first Hawaiian-language constitution in 1839 and 1840
From about 1949 to the present, there has been a gradual increase in attention to, and promotion of, the language. Public Hawaiian-language immersion pre-schools called Pūnana Leo were started in 1984; other immersion schools followed soon after. The first students to start in immersion pre-school have now graduated from college and many are fluent Hawaiian speakers.
Merrie Monarch Festival
The week-long Merrie Monarch Festival is Hawaii's leading hula competition, based at the Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium in Hilo on Hawaii island (also known as the Big Island).
The Merrie Monarch Festival is named after, and dedicated to the memory of, King David Kalakaua, who reigned over the Hawaiian Kingdom between 1874 and 1891. A patron of the arts, especially music and dance, he was known as the Merrie Monarch, hence the festival's name. It was through Kalakaua's almost single-handed auspices that many of Hawaii's nearly extinct cultural traditions - myths and legends, and the hula, which had been forbidden by the missionaries for over 70 years - survived into modern times. With no written language, the chants and dance of hula were a way of the community remembering their genealogy, mythology and prayers.
Aloha Festivals is Hawai'i’s premier cultural showcase, a celebration of Hawai'i’s music, dance and history intended to preserve the unique island traditions. We invite you to explore and find out what makes Aloha Festivals special. Aloha Festivals is proudly presented by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
In the spirit of preserving the Hawaiian culture and heritage, the Aloha Festivals were established in 1946 as Aloha Week by former members of the local Junior Chamber of Commerce. The main highlight of the original Aloha Week was the presentation of the Royal Court and a floral parade, a two hour parade eastbound on Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue through Downtown Honolulu, Kakaako, Ala monarch.
Aloha Festival Events in the Hawaiian Islands
The Aloha Festivals are an annual series of free cultural celebrations observed in the state of Hawaii in the United States. It is the only statewide cultural festival in the nation. It features concerts, parades, street parties called ho‘olaule‘a as well as various other special events planned for resident and tourist families. The Aloha Festivals are celebrated on six islands — Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and the Big Island of Hawaii — over the course of six weeks in September and October.
Each year has a specific theme:
2009: Hula ("Let the Story Be Told")
2008: Hula ("The Art of Hawaiian Dance")
2005: Nā Honu Hawaiʻi ("The Spirit Within")
2004: No Nā Kamaliʻi ("For the Children")
2003: E Mau Ana Ka Hula I Ke Kanaka ("Hula Lives Through Its People")
2002: Ka ʻUhane O Ka Loea ("The Spirit of the Masters")