Kamehameha Day in United States

Kamehameha Day honors the life of Kamehameha the Great. ©iStockphoto.com/Aimin Tang

What do people do?

Traditionally, Kamehameha Day celebrations included fairs, carnivals and running, horse and cycle races. Now various events are organized on or around Kamehameha Day. They include a floral parade through Honolulu; statues of Kamehameha the Great being draped in lei (traditional flower garlands); parties; horse riding competitions; and the King Kamehameha Hula Competition.

Public life

Kamehameha Day is a state holiday in Hawaii. Most state offices and schools are closed and public transit services may run to a reduced schedule. Stores and other businesses may be open or closed. Kamehameha Day is not a holiday in other areas of the United States and public life is not affected on June 11.

Background

Kamehameha the Great, also known as Kamehameha I and Kamehameha the First, was ruler of Hawaii from 1782 until his death on May 8, 1819. He is remembered for uniting Hawaii, introducing laws to uphold human rights in combat situations, and for being a fair and stable leader. His name means "lonely" or "loneliness" and he is sometimes known as the "Napoleon of the Pacific".

In 1871, the great-grandson of Kamehameha the Great, known as Kamehameha V, passed a royal decree that Kamehameha Day should be celebrated. The day was first observed on June 11, 1872, and was one of the first holidays proclaimed by the Hawaii State Legislature after Hawaii became a US state in 1959.

Symbols

Important symbols of Kamehameha Day are the statues of Kamehameha the Great in the Hawaiian cities of Honolulu, Kapaau and Hilo, as well as the National Statuary Hall on the US Capitol in Washington DC.  During the Kamehameha Day ceremonies, the statues are draped in lei. These are garlands made by stringing flowers or leaves together and are often hung around the necks of loved ones, visitors and statues of respected people.

Kamehameha Day Observances

Other holidays in June 2008 in United States

• Statehood Day (Sunday, June 1, 2008)
• Jefferson Davis Birthday (Tuesday, June 3, 2008)
• International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (Wednesday, June 4, 2008)
• World Environment Day (Thursday, June 5, 2008)
• Shavuot (Monday, June 9, 2008)
• Flag Day (Saturday, June 14, 2008)
• Father's Day (Sunday, June 15, 2008)
• Bunker Hill Day (Tuesday, June 17, 2008)
• World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (Tuesday, June 17, 2008)
• Juneteenth (Thursday, June 19, 2008)
• June Solstice (Friday, June 20, 2008)
• West Virginia Day (Friday, June 20, 2008)
• World Refugee Day (Friday, June 20, 2008)
• Public Service Day (Monday, June 23, 2008)
• International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (Thursday, June 26, 2008)
• International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (Thursday, June 26, 2008)

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