Four-leaf clovers are a symbol of good luck and ubiquitous with St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17. And while the holiday is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, some 7,000 miles away from Hawaiʻi, the Islands boast its own version of the lucky plant. The ʻihiʻihilauakea (Marsilea villosa) is a rare, endangered […]
During Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868), families began displaying hina-ningyo or dolls, on the third day of the third month. Timed with the blooming of vibrant pink peach blossoms, displaying hina-ningyo was believed to ward off evil spirits. The custom became known as “Momo no Sekku (Peach Blossom Festival),” “Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival),” and “Girls’ Day,” slowly
When Ken Hirata vacationed in Hawai‘i more than 20 years ago, he tried poi, a traditional Hawaiian staple made from mashed taro. Realizing that fermentation was a key process in making both poi and shochu, a beloved distilled spirit made in his home country, Japan, Hirata wondered if he could craft good shochu with Hawai‘i-grown
Nestled on the slopes of Oʻahu’s famous Diamond Head is an unexpected and opulent treasure: the estate-turned-museum of billionaire American heiress and philanthropist Doris Duke, once dubbed “the richest little girl in the world.” Of the many homes that the heiress owned, Shangri La is the only one that she built from the ground up
What Kaui Hart Hemmings has accomplished as a Hawai‘i writer is nothing short of impressive: Her first book, “The Descendants,” was a New York Times bestseller, published in 22 countries and turned into an Oscar-winning film directed by Alexander Payne and starring George Clooney. But why stop there? Her next novel, “The Possibilities,” was optioned
Raised on O‘ahu’s North Shore, award-winning photographer Clark Little is best known for capturing the extraordinary beauty of the shorebreak. And it all started because his wife wanted a photo of the ocean to hang on their bedroom wall. That honey-do-list item has turned into a full-on career. In a short time, Little gained critical
It may seem hard to believe Alan Wong, a James Beard Award winner and pioneer of the groundbreaking Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement, who has cooked alongside some of the world’s greatest chefs and reimagined ethnic cuisine in the Islands, would prefer to eat beef stew—“the watery, tomato-y kine, not the thick, brown kine”—than a fancy
Did you know Santa’s elves are real? At least, in Hawaii they are. But instead of working at a toy factory at the North Pole, these holiday helpers work in government buildings, juggling their day jobs as Honolulu city employees with their holiday seasonal assignments. And while they might not be making toys for the
What’s Halloween without a little spook? This year we met up with Native Hawaiian storyteller and historian Lopaka Kapanui, who leads popular ghost tours in Honolulu through his company, Mysteries of Hawaii. If anyone knows ghost stories and supernatural encounters about Hawaii, it’s him. The Islands are full of these tales, from obake (preternatural beings from
Debora Driscoll hadn’t set out to become a soap-maker. But after receiving a holiday basket containing handcrafted soaps nearly 20 years ago, Driscoll and her business partner—and then-husband—Jerry altered course. They decided to make soap. But not just any kind. Their soap would be good for the skin and safe for the environment, too. In
For hula practitioners and avid spectators, summer is another exciting season for cultural celebration as the Prince Lot Hula Festival takes center stage. While many halau prepare tirelessly for prestigious hula competitions, the Prince Lot Hula Festival distinguishes itself as Hawaii’s premier noncompetitive hula festival. Welcoming halau and dancers of all ages and skill levels,
Few things declare the laid-back Hawaiʻi lifestyle as boldly as the aloha shirt. Like many pivotal origin stories, (take the heated debate over who invented the loco moco in Hilo, for example) the exact party responsible for the birth of the aloha shirt is hard to pin down. One of the most well-known stories goes
