There was something great that happened in 2020. A new Hawaiian monk seal was born. And this month that pup (RM90) got a name. It’s Mele, the Hawaiian word for “song.” The pup, who was born in either late spring or early summer on Oʻahu, was given her name by a group of third graders […]
Growing up in Kailua on O‘ahu’s Windward Side, Ryan Katsuno would go to Agnes’ Portuguese Bake Shop at least once a week, stocking up on sweet bread, pastries and—the bakery’s signature treat—malasadas. Malasadas are Hawai‘i’s quintessential comfort food. They’re basically deep-fried, sugar-dusted doughnuts, brought to Hawai‘i with the 1878 arrival of Portuguese plantation laborers from the Madeira and Azores islands. And
Master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui doesn’t just tell spooky stories and lead ghost tours around Honolulu. He also blesses homes, often in attempt to rid them of lurking spirits. He shares a story about blessing a home in Nuʻuanu after the owner’s wife had died of cancer on a particularly foggy day. Find out what happens! Want
Pua Hana Flower & Lei Photo: Courtesy of The Kaimukī Lei Stand “We wanted to make lei that had an old Hawai‘i feel,” says Keoni Williams, who, along with husband Makamae, had some unexpected time away from their hospitality jobs due to COVID-19 and decided to pursue their passion and open The Kaimukī Lei Stand.
The origin of the shaka, and how it got its unique name, has long been shrouded in mystery. Some say it came from David “Lippy” Espinda, who owned a local gas station and would greet his customers with a shaka. Others believe that the shaka came from Spanish immigrants, who would put their thumbs to
Most of have heard of Menehune—but never seen one. Menehune are a legendary race of small people—typically no taller than 3 feet—who work at night, building fish ponds, roads and temples in the Islands. They are known to be kohole (mischievous), too. (Read more about Menehune here.) In this episode of “Haunted Hawaiʻi,” master storyteller Lopaka
Halloween is just around the corner and you know what that means! Tricks and treats, an assortment of pumpkin-flavored beverages, horrifying costumes and—of course—spooky stories. The kind that gives you chicken skin (Hawaiʻi slang for goosebumps) and makes it hard to sleep at night. Our staffers, and friends from sister-publications, shared with us a few terrifying
Many of us in Hawaiʻi have had our homes blessed by a kahuna (priest). In this episode of “Haunted Hawaiʻi,” master storyteller Lopaka Kapanui tells the story about a flamboyant kahuna who tries to bless an un-blessable house on Oʻahu. You won’t believe what happens! WATCH MORE Haunted Hawaiʻi: A Spirit-Filled House in Nuʻuanu
It’s October! And that means one thing to the HAWAIʻI Magazine staff. OK, besides pumpkin crunch. We love a good ghost story—and Hawaiʻi is full of them. From Night Marchers to haunted cemeteries, the Islands are rife with supernatural tales. SEE ALSO: 5 of Hawaiʻi’s Creepy Urban Legends and Ghost Stories We enlisted the help
Six of us stand outside ‘Iolani Palace in Honolulu, looking through a wrought-iron fence encircling a mound covered in grass and flowers. “That is a burial mound,” Lopaka Kapanui says. “Sometimes, groundskeepers still catch people trying to unearth the bones that lie underneath.” The sun has already set and the humid summer heat seems to
To celebrate the beginning of October, we’ve compiled a list of 13 scary things that give us chicken skin. Are we being a liberal with the use of the word “scary” here? Maybe, but most Hawaiʻi locals have likely experienced some of these local frights firsthand. 1. Forgetting to Bring Food to a Potluck Nobody wants to be
Some people have their first cup of coffee in their late teens, maybe early 20s, and some never have coffee at all. Shawn Steiman, who has more than earned his moniker, “Dr. Coffee,” had his first cup at age 10, and he’s still buzzing. Steiman is, without a doubt, one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the field
