Festivals | GRRRL TRAVELER

Mochi Culture in Hawaii

Filed under Festivals, Hawaii by Christine Ka'aloa on January 14, 2010 at 10:52 am {4 comments}

click here to view photo album of the event

Aside from canoe paddling, surf boarding, and lei giving, Hawaii’s mystique and “Island Style” juggles other exotic mixtures like SPAM culture, luaus, playing fireworks and the ability to Li Hing everything. Visitors have it right when they feel Hawaii to be its own country- it practically is…

Hawaii’s multi-cultural island tradition

Hawaii’s culture is unique- its traditions originate from the “adapted versions” of several ethnic minority groups. They are responsible for cultivating the mixed (more…)

Christmas in Hawaii & Celebrating State-wide Fireworks

Filed under Festivals, Hawaii by Christine Ka'aloa on January 10, 2010 at 4:02 pm {2 comments}

by Christine Ka’aloa

Video shot from an Aiea rooftop looking out to the surrounding neighborhoods. In the very far distance is Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. Fireworks are at a mellow high on this side – not as crazy as the Kailua area.

It’s wonderful being back in Hawaii for the Christmas and New Year holidays! My mainland friends are like- “Oooh, you’re so lucky to be in Hawaii, when its so cold here…” But it’s not about weather for me. I’m tired of Santa always flying in on a wave, riding a surfboard, wearing burmuda shorts, flip-flops and a shirt with a huge shaka sign. And giant blow-up Snowman dolls sitting on lawns, sustaining 80 degree weather?… Doesn’t make sense for an island, which has never seen natural (more…)

July spells Bon Dance season in Hawaii

Filed under Festivals, Hawaii by Christine Ka'aloa on July 16, 2009 at 3:19 am {no comments}

July is here and it’s time to grab your Japanese fans and break out your kimonos and tabis from under the mothballs to join the festivities of Bon Odori in Hawaii! This month kicks off bon season in Hawaii but the first bon dance of the year, really took place in June on the grounds of Hawaii Plantation Village. As the sun set, festival goers came out dressed in yukatas (light kimonos) and hapi coats (aka the “sushi chef” look). The local ono grinds (pidgin for “delicious foods”) of bento, fried rice, spam musubi, mochi, shaved ice and (more…)

King Kamehameha Floral Parade 2009 struggles with the economy

Filed under Festivals, Glam Around the World by Christine Ka'aloa on June 16, 2009 at 3:27 am {no comments}

From GRRRL Traveler Diaries

On Sunday, June 14, 2009, the Honolulu Advertiser reported that the King Kamehameha floral parade held “50 vehicles, 10 floats and 8 bands”. Was I at the same “sprawling pageant”??? Did the parade thin out within the span of where this article was written and where I stood waiting with my camera on Ala Moana Blvd? Perhaps there’s a gross misinterpretation as to what’s defined as a “float” or maybe the reporter, Michael Tsai, fell asleep at the wheel and wrote his article based off of the original program.

The truth is- this 93rd annual King Kamehameha floral parade was a bit of a disappointment for an excited crowd of tourists (more…)

Memorial Day Lantern Floating in Hawaii

Filed under Festivals, Hawaii by Christine Ka'aloa on May 26, 2009 at 2:40 am {no comments}

by Christine Ka’aloa

Photo by Leslie Lang on HonoluluOnTheCheap.com

Biking with my sister- our route started from the Waikiki Yacht Club and made its way through Diamond Head and Kahala and then circled back around to Kapahulu and then Ala Moana Beach Park. It ended when we saw the beach park entrance baracaded and large streams of crowd walking in to participate in one of Hawaii’s largest cultural events…

This past Memorial Day over 40,000 people attended the 10th Annual Lantern Lighting celebration at Ala Moana Beach Park. BBQ grills, bento plate lunches and blue tarp family picnic tents were out in abundance in typical “local island style”. Some spectators brought towels or mats and found sitting real estate on the sand, where they could best view the giant video monitors and the entertainment stage . The program commenced at 6:30P with local entertainment and ceremonial stagings and climaxed with the release of more than 2,000 eco-friendly lanterns into the ocean. This year’s ceremony was scheduled to coincide with Memorial Day in order to honor soldiers who fought in the war; as well as, celebrate the ancient Japanese Buddhist tradition of Obon, a ceremonial season honoring departed loved ones. The floating paper lanterns (originally called “Toro Nagashi”) were available on a first come first serve basis and donations were voluntary. People were then free to inscribe handwritten messages and prayers for their loved ones on the lanterns; as it is customary belief that once released into the ocean, the prayers and wishes written on them will be recieved.

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