Aloha . Welcome to Hawaii's Best . Here you'll learn what to know before traveling , as we discover Hawaiian culture , local businesses and the experiences that make Hawaii one of the most incredible places in the world . And now your host , brian Murphy .
Speaker 2Today is King Kamehameha Day and thought of be fitting to do a quick episode . Hawaii is one of the most incredible places cultures it's rich in history . The history and culture of these Polynesian islands are often highlighted through public holidays that celebrate the phenomenal traditions of Hawaii , and one of those holidays is celebrated annually on June 11th , which honors the first monarch who established the Kingdom of Hawaii , kamehameha the Great , and this holiday is celebrated across all the islands , with the main celebrations happening on the island of Oahu . One of the first questions you may be asking yourself is what is King Kamehameha Day ? And after uniting the islands , kamehameha the Great became the first king of Hawaii , and this day is a celebration and memorial of King Kamehameha . King Kamehameha Day is a beautiful celebration of not only Kamehameha the Great , but also the protection and preservation of the Hawaiian culture . Celebrated in a festival style , king Kamehameha Day is enjoyed by thousands of Hawaiian locals and tourists on June 11th every year . The celebration features traditional Hawaiian song dance , along with delicious food , of course , arts and crafts . So the history of King Kamehameha Day is that , after years of strife and conflict across what is now known as the Hawaiian Islands , kamehameha united the islands into one kingdom in 1810 . He became the first king of Hawaii and was also known as a wise diplomat , fierce warrior , and was highly respected as a leader .
Speaker 2Sixty-one years later , king Kamehameha the Fifth , his great grandson , declared by royal decree that June 11th would be King Kamehameha Day in honor of his memory . The day was also implemented as a replacement for Hawaiian Sovereignty Restoration Day that took place on July 31st , a holiday which King Kamehameha the Fifth disapproved of due to the association with the Paulette Affair , and if you want to read more on that , i would just encourage you to search Paulette Affair and you can get what that is . Maybe we'll cover it on a future episode , but I digress . Okay , the first celebration took place on June 11th 11th , 1872 , and early festivities were celebrated through grand carnival . I can just imagine what those first few celebrations must have been like . However , during the years of 1893 and 1898 , celebrations fell to the wayside after the overthrow of Hawaii , but the day continued to be recognized and was reestablished when Hawaii became a United States territory in 1898 . The celebration has been an annual event ever since and was one of the first public holidays proclaimed on Hawaii State Register when the islands entered statehood in 1959 .
Speaker 2And that's a whole complicated , other topic . But going back to King Kamehameha Day , how it's celebrated across the islands , i've kind of already mentioned it , but each Hawaiian island has different traditions to celebrate King Kamehameha Day . However , they are celebrated with festivals and parades across all the islands . There are five King Kamehameha statues that currently exist across the Hawaiian islands that play an important role in festivities on King Kamehameha Day . The largest celebration , like I mentioned , however , takes place on Oahu and the largest number of attendees across the islands , and Oahu is also home to the original 15 foot statue of King Kamehameha in Honolulu , one of those most iconic images that you've probably seen will be sure we're going to put a picture of the statue on our Instagram account . You can find us on Instagram at hawaiibest .
Speaker 2The celebration begins with a symbolic lay draping ceremony in downtown Honolulu and every year , dozens of volunteers sew flowers to create a fresh lay that is then lifted by crane at the event to be dropped over the outstretched arm of the Honolulu's King Kamehameha statue . As part of the day long event , honolulu also celebrates with the annual King Kamehameha celebration floral parade , a stunning parade that honors old Hawaiian pageantry through magnificent colors , flowers and people . So I hope that gives you an idea of a brief overview of what King Kamehameha Day is all about , and be sure to follow along today and maybe do some of your own research a little bit more in depth about King Kamehameha . And until next time , be well Aloha .
Speaker 1Mahalo for listening to this episode of Hawaii's Best . To stay up to date on future episodes , please subscribe and visit us at hawaiibesttravelcom .