The Makahiki is an ancient Hawaiian festival, honoring the Hawaiian god LonoLono In Hawaiian religion, the god Lono is associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace. In one of the many Hawaiian stories of Lono, he is a fertility and music god who descended to Earth on a rainbow to marry Laka. ... Lono was also the god of peace. › wiki › Lono

Lono - Wikipedia

. ... During this time, priests would take down the tikis of Ku, the god of war, and erect the tikis of Lono, signaling the beginning of the Makahiki season.

What is Makahiki in Hawaiian?

The word makahiki can refer to a time of celebration, the ceremonies and activities observed during this particular time of year, or a complete calendar year. ... Traditionally for Hawaiians, our calendar year is divided into two seasons, Kau (the dry season) and Hoʻoilo (the wet season).

What is the importance of Makahiki?

Lono-i-ka-makahiki or Lono is the main god associated with the Makahiki. He brings prosperity to the land and is associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music, and peace.

How did ancient Hawaiians know Makahiki season?

In ancient times, Hawaiian priests would search the night sky for Makali'i, known today as the Pleiades. The sighting of the Makali'i signified the presence of Lono, the Hawaiian god of fertility, and the start of Makahiki season, the four month Hawaiian new year season.

How long is Makahiki season?

The Makahiki season is a four-month period of the year, beginning with the first sighting of the makali`i (the constellation Pleiades) in late October or early November on the horizon. As the year's harvest was gathered, tribute in the form of goods and produce were given to the chiefs from November through December.

10 Makahiki Celebration

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Why Do Hawaiians celebrate Makahiki?

The Makahiki is an ancient Hawaiian festival, honoring the Hawaiian god Lono. ... Prior to European contact, Lono's priests reenacted the god's circuit around each island, stopping at each boundary or ahupuaʻa(land division). Here, Hawaiians paid tribute by contributing the best goods from their district.

What is the Makahiki Festival?

The Makahiki season is the ancient Hawaiian New Year festival, in honor of the god Lono of the Hawaiian religion. It is a holiday covering four consecutive lunar months, approximately from October or November through February or March. ... In antiquity, many religious ceremonies occurred during this period.

When was the growing and harvest season in Hawaii?

Farming season in general ran from February or March when taro, sweet potato and other crops were planted through June when sweet potatoes could be harvested, to August and September when the widescale harvest and tithing took place.

What are the Hawaiian seasons?

For most of Hawaii, there are only two seasons: "summer," between May and October, and "winter," between October and April.

What is the purpose of the Makahiki ceremony on Kaho Olawe?

“The Makahiki season is our opportunity to celebrate and show our appreciation for the past year's harvest on our home islands. . . . It is a period to petition the deity Lono to come again with greater abundance. On Kaho'olawe, we petition Lono to raise the water table.

What does Alii mean in Hawaiian?

: a Polynesian chief, noble, or king.

What is a Hawaiian heiau?

A heiau (/ˈheɪ. aʊ/) is a Hawaiian temple. ... Heiau are still considered sacred by many of the inhabitants of Hawaii, and some are not open to the public. In ancient times, only chiefs and priests were allowed into some of these heiau.

How do Native Hawaiians celebrate Christmas?

Families and communities gather in their backyards or at the beach for a festive feast or traditional luau. Christmas for Hawaiians means feasting on a Kālua pig. Kālua is a traditional style of cooking that involves an “Imu” or underground oven. The pig is buried in the earth with hot rocks and banana leaves.

How many Hawaiian gods and goddesses are there?

the four gods, or akua: Kū, Kāne, Lono, Kanaloa. many lesser gods, or kupua, each associated with certain professions. guardian spirits, ʻaumakua, associated with particular families.

What produce is grown in Hawaii?

Sugar cane and pineapples are Hawaii's most valuable crops. Hawaii also produces large quantities of flowers, much for export. Coffee, macadamia nuts, avocados, bananas, guavas, papayas, tomatoes and other fruits are grown. Vegetables raised for local use include beans, corn, lettuce, potatoes and taro.

Do dates grow in Hawaii?

They are famous for their succulent edible fruit with more than 1,000 varieties and are hardy palms that can be grown in warm temperate to tropical regions. ... The edible Date Palm is extremely salt tolerant and will do well in Hawaii along windy beaches where coconut palms have trouble surviving.

What produce is native to Hawaii?

Here are some of our favorite Hawaiian fruits and the best time to find them.

• Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) Passion fruit is known as lilikoi in Hawaii. ...
• Mango. Mango is definitely a local favorite. ...
• Guava. A couple of ripe guavas in a fruit bowl can scent an entire room. ...
• Pineapple. ...
• Coconut. ...
• Banana. ...
• Papaya. ...
• Starfruit.

What is the Ahupua a system?

Ahupua'a refers to the traditional land dividing system in Hawai'i. The land was vertically divided along the rivers to give individual. ahupua'a, and each system contained the montane region, the valley, and the sea.

What is the Menehune in Hawaii?

Menehune are a mythological dwarf people in Hawaiian tradition who are said to live in the deep forests and hidden valleys of the Hawaiian Islands, hidden and far away from human settlements. The Menehune are described as superb craftspeople. They built temples (heiau), fishponds, roads, canoes, and houses.

What heiau is found in the Ili of Makaoku?

Tell the refrain Beautiful is the mist-like Kani lehua rain. ❶MAKAOK¯U This 'ili contained the Waihonu fishponds known for their turtles. A heiau at Makaoku¯ was dedicated to the god K¯u. A portion of this area is now Queen Lili'uokalani Park.

What did the aliʻi do?

Duties and responsibilities. The ali'i nui were responsible for making sure the people observed a strict Kapu (a code of conduct relating to taboos). The system had rules regarding many aspects of Hawaiian social order, fishing rights, and even where women could eat.

What does Kahuna mean in Hawaiian?

Kahuna is a Hawaiian word that refers to an expert in any field, whether male or female. It can refer to priests, sorcerers, magicians, wizards, and ministers.

What is Konohiki in Hawaiian?

1 : a headman of a Hawaiian land division who also controls fishing rights in adjacent waters. 2 : a Hawaiian land division with its accompanying fishing rights.