*This web story was originally published in November 2020, and updated in March 2026. The short list was included in our FALL/WINTER 2025 issue. The best lū‘au in Hawai‘i will serve the authentic stuff: succulent kālua pig, creamy haupia and, of course, poi. So if you are lucky enough to get handed that perfect plate, here’s what you’ll be eating: From […]
*This story was originally published on March 3, 2020, and updated in February 2026. 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
Hawaiʻi’s history is filled with inspirational wāhine who fought fearlessly to preserve Hawaiian culture and secure rights for women and minority groups across the Islands. They broke down barriers and empowered other women in Hawaiʻi and beyond. READ MORE: 14 Extraordinary Women in Hawaiʻi History Everyone Should Know From incredible aliʻi to impressive athletes, memoirs and biographies chronicle some of these pioneering wāhine. Their stories are fascinating and
*This story was originally published on Feb. 3, 2025, and updated in January 2026. February is Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, Hawaiian Language Month, and it’s now more important than ever to celebrate this living language by learning, embracing and respecting it. Three years after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893, the Hawaiian language was
*This story was originally published on Jan. 15, 2025, and updated in January 2026. The muʻumuʻu has come a long way from its reputation as a gaudy house dress. In fact, it’s very in vogue these days. So much so, January is Muʻumuʻu Month in Hawaiʻi. It started 11 years ago by Kauaʻi designer Shannon
*This story was originally published on Dec. 31, 2019. People worldwide are welcoming the new year with spectacular firework shows and glasses of Champagne. In Hawaiʻi, we celebrate with popping firecrackers (to ward off evil spirits), eating noodles (which symbolize longevity), cleaning our homes (so you don’t carry your old life into the new year)
*This story was originally published on Oct. 31, 2024. Years ago, I went on a ghost tour with Native Hawaiian storyteller Lopaka Kapanui, visiting haunted spots on Oʻahu. It was early evening, the sun had long set. We were standing in a remote area on the windward side of Pali Highway. And this is
Hawaiian land snails are among the most threatened animal groups on the planet. Researchers believe 11 species of Endodonta once lived in the wild across the Hawaiian Islands—part of a family of about 200 species. Today, it is likely the last remaining species in the Endodonta genus. READ MORE: One Hawaiian Snail Dies, but the
It’s been four years since Hilo-born chef Sheldon Simeon published his first cookbook, “Cook Real Hawaiʻi,” putting local favorites like pork adobo, wok-fried poke and Spam musubi on a culinary pedestal. And he’s been busy. The two-time “Top Chef” finalist, who continues to run Tin Roof in Kahului, Maui, earned a James Beard Award nomination in
In Hawai‘i, from baby lū‘au to backyard potlucks, the sounds of Hawaiian slack-key guitar—or kī hō‘alu—fill the air. These mele (songs) tell stories about life in the Islands, transporting listeners back in time and evoking a sweet sense of nostalgia. From joyful, energetic tunes about Waimea’s cowboy country to passionate odes to sweethearts in Waikīkī,
*This story was originally published on Jan. 25, 2020, and updated in October 2025. What’s in an outdoor name? Many people know the story of how Diamond Head got its English-language name—19th-century British sailors initially mistook calcite crystals on its slopes for the precious stone. The Oʻahu volcanic crater’s original name, however, was Lēʻahi,
*This story was originally published on Sept. 12, 2017. The 2025 Nā Wāhine o Ke Kai will be held on Sunday, Sept. 28. For more information, visit nawahineokekai.com. Considered the pinnacle of long-distance Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing, the Kaiwi Channel is a grueling 41-mile stretch of open ocean separating the Hawaiian Islands of Molokaʻi
