Growing up in Hawaii, the 1st of May was always a colorful and fragrant celebration in school. We would watch hula dancing in the typical May Day program. There would be contests on who could create a beautiful and unusual garland of flowers.
There was always Hawaiian music being played with the ukelele and of course, a king and queen was also selected from amongst the students. I am proud to say that someone actually nominated me for queen in high school. While I was honored at the selection, I knew that I didn't look Hawaiian enough to win....but very happy none the less.
One year we even celebrated May Day with a maypole like those used in many countries. It was so much fun to perform that in front of the student body in elementary school. But that was the exception....that is not how it is celebrated in Hawaii.
As an elementary school kid....it was fun because we got to watch a program for half the day and we even got to have a Hawaiian school lunch. All the girls would be dressed in muumuus and the boys in Aloha shirts. It was truly a colorful day at school.....and of course we all wore leis.
In the business world....eventually Fridays became designated Aloha Friday when people could wear muumuus and Aloha shirts to work. I remember that Bank of Hawaii was one of the first to have Aloha attire as the standard uniform for employees and execs....do you remember those "inside out" material Aloha shirts? That became the standard for bank execs. Hawaiian fabric factories really got a boost with that executive decision. Hawaiiana became the "in thing" like never before.
Whenever I return to Hawaii for a visit....I really take the time to smell the flowers and soak in the Hawaiian culture as much as possible. I love listening to Hawaiian music and especially relish hearing and seeing it in person.
On my trip to Hawaii last year, I had the pleasure and honor to listen to my cousin Paul Kim perform with his group called the "Sons of Hawaii." They perform traditional Hawaiian music and Paul sang my favorite song called Alika....a song that was sung by Genoa Keawe for many years.... now....not all singers can perform it well. There is a part of the song where a note is held for a very long time on just one breath. Well...cuz.....you nailed it! I was certainly impressed! My aunt and uncle was there along with my cousin Rocky and her husband Kimo.....we had fun that night and I could tell that they had so much pride (as did I) listening to Paul perform on the steel guitar....a dying art in Hawaiian music. Imagine....I have a cousin that is even mentioned in Wikipedia and appeared in a documentary filmed about the many iconic members of the "Sons of Hawaii" over the years. OMG...WOW.
That is my handsome cousin on the left with the straw hat with the haku lei in the picture below.
Happy May Day to All!
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