Did You Know Facts About Hawaii – Part 1
Many of you know that Hawaii is nicknamed the Aloha State. Aloha is a greeting and a farewell. The deeper meaning is respect and to love one another. Ancient Hawaiians viewed greeting someone face-to-face and breathing each other’s essence as a sacred act. The word “aloha” signifies love, affection, compassion and mercy in addition to a greeting and a farewell. But there are many more little tidbits of information that you may not have known.
Hawaii is made up of eight major islands. Hawaii is the Big Island which has over 4,000 square miles. This island alone has 5 volcanoes. Kauai is the Garden Isle. Lanai is the Pineapple Isle, which once produced 75% of the world’s exported pineapples. Maui is the Valley Isle which is the 2nd largest island. It has 2 mountain ranges and the dangerous Hana Highway. Molokai is the Friendly Isle. It is believed to be where the Hula began. Niihau is the Forbidden Isle with only a population of about 200 people. Oahu is the Gathering Place. It has the highest population in the state and houses Honolulu, the state capital.
Hawaii is a friendly state and believes in hugging as a form of kindness and peacefulness. When you arrive in Hawaii, hopefully you will be greeted with a lei. It is a sign of hospitality and affection. You are being welcomed into their state. There are etiquette rules when wearing a lei. First off, you are not to remove it until the person who gave it to you has left as you do not want to appear rude. Next, there is a specific way to wear the lei. It is not meant to be worn like a necklace but should be draped over the shoulders on both sides.
Hawaii is the only state in the United States that grows coffee. Coffee lovers probably have heard about Kona Coffee which is grown mostly around Kona. Luckily for coffee drinkers, Kona Coffee can be found in many places around the country.
Hawaii’s flag is a mixture of things. The upper left of the flag contains a Union Jack which represents a companionship with the United Kingdom. The eight stripes of red, white and blue signifies the connection between the United States and Hawaii. They chose eight because of the 8 Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii is the only state that has a palace. King Kamehameha III was the first to live there. Hawaiians still have a King Kamehameha Day.
Hawaii goes out of the way to keep their state as pristine as possible. They were the first state to have banned plastic bags. You can use recyclable paper sacks or bring your own reusable bags. Again, to protect their state, most sunscreens are prohibited as well since they are filled with contaminants which harm the coral reefs. Hawaii recommends buying the allowed sunscreens on the island.
Are you looking for love? Some women will be seen wearing a flower behind their ear. It signifies whether a lady is single or married. If she wears it over her right ear, that means that she is single. The left ear means that she is taken.
Regarding flowers, Hawaii’s state flower is the yellow hibiscus. However, each island has its own flower. To list a few, the Big Island believes that the fire goddess Pele lives there, so their flower is fiery red metrosideros polymorpha. Maui has the lokelani rose which is pink. This rose is not native to Hawaii like the other flowers. Lanai is an orange vine that grows along beaches and coastlines. This vine has therapeutic benefits but is parasitic. Each island has their flower or shrub and what they are known for.
Hawaii is proud of the beauty of their state. There is a law that buildings in Kauai can’t be taller than a palm tree, however, there are two exceptions, the Kauai Marriott Resort and the Princeville Resort which were built before this law went into effect. The law is to protect the spectacular views of the skyline as well as to preserve the beauty of the island.
(Stay tuned for Part 2!)