Hawaiian New Year a Melting Pot of Traditions
John Roach, for National Geographic News, December 28, 2006
The New Year will arrive on the Hawaiian Islands with loads of bang, food, and good luck, according to local experts.
The Pacific Ocean islands are home to a culturally and ethnically diverse group of people that have created a unique set of New Year's traditions, explained DeSoto Brown, the collection manager of the Bishop Museum archives in Honolulu.
In addition to the collective diversity, Brown said, many residents are of mixed ancestry and participate in several traditions at once.
"There is what we refer to as a local identity, meaning not specific of one ethnic group," he said. "But it is an identity-a mixture of things unique to just this location." (Related story: "Persian New Year Transcends Religions, Regimes" [March 17, 2005].)
Celebrate with a Bang
The widespread use of firecrackers is one New Year's tradition that everyone seems to have an opinion about, Brown said.
"It's completely unique and makes an astonishing amount of noise, smoke, and light," he said. "It can be overwhelming."
In the hours leading up to the New Year, people light off thousands of the explosives. The crackle can be deafening, the smoke blinding.
In the morning some streets in Honolulu, the state's largest city, are littered ankle-deep with paper from exploded casings.
The tradition, which Chinese immigrants brought to the islands in the 19th century, was originally meant to scare off evil spirits.
"Now it's for the spectacle and enjoyment," Brown said.
But not everyone loves the display. For example, the Hawaii branch of the American Lung Association annually campaigns for reduced fireworks use, citing dangerous levels of air particle pollution.
"[The smoke] blocks most of the light like a thick fog, and people object to it," Brown said. "It causes breathing problems. They object to pets being terrified and running away."
In 2000 the state government, hoping to curb enthusiasm for the noisemakers, passed a law requiring a U.S. $25 permit to purchase 5,000 firecrackers.
There's no limit on the number of permits an individual can buy, and many people get several. Honolulu, a city with nearly 400,000 residents, sold 13,981 permits in 2005.
Bountiful Food
While the firecracker tradition may spark divisions among Hawaiian residents, sharing food brings family, friends, and neighbors together, said Myles Tanaka, whose ancestors immigrated to Hawaii in the early 19th century from Japan.
"Around New Year's was a time when we were able to sample a lot of the different foods from other cultures," he said today on a broadcast of the Pulse of the Planet radio program.
(This news story and Pulse of the Planet receive funding from the National Science Foundation.)
For example, Portuguese prepare bean soup, Filipinos cook up pork adobo (marinated, boiled meat), and the Chinese make different kinds of dumplings, Tanaka said.
According to the Bishop Museum's Brown, another popular New Year's dish is mochi, a type of Japanese rice cake made with sticky rice that is repeatedly pounded.
"You literally stand there and whack at it," he said. The ritual, primarily performed by adult men, is something young boys look forward to participating in, he added.
Good Luck
In the past 10 to 15 years, the Japanese tradition of making and displaying kadomatsu has also become widespread, Brown noted.
Similar to flower arrangements, the decorative pieces are made of green bamboo and pine boughs tied together. People place them at the front door or entrance to a building to bring in good luck and ward off evil spirits.
"Interestingly, in Japan kadomatsu is not that popular," Brown said. "They don't make a lot of use of it anymore. In contrast, here it has become more popular and is used by lots of people who aren't Japanese."
The New Year will arrive on the Hawaiian Islands with loads of bang, food, and good luck, according to local experts.
The Pacific Ocean islands are home to a culturally and ethnically diverse group of people that have created a unique set of New Year's traditions, explained DeSoto Brown, the collection manager of the Bishop Museum archives in Honolulu.
In addition to the collective diversity, Brown said, many residents are of mixed ancestry and participate in several traditions at once.
"There is what we refer to as a local identity, meaning not specific of one ethnic group," he said. "But it is an identity-a mixture of things unique to just this location." (Related story: "Persian New Year Transcends Religions, Regimes" [March 17, 2005].)
Celebrate with a Bang
The widespread use of firecrackers is one New Year's tradition that everyone seems to have an opinion about, Brown said.
"It's completely unique and makes an astonishing amount of noise, smoke, and light," he said. "It can be overwhelming."
In the hours leading up to the New Year, people light off thousands of the explosives. The crackle can be deafening, the smoke blinding.
In the morning some streets in Honolulu, the state's largest city, are littered ankle-deep with paper from exploded casings.
The tradition, which Chinese immigrants brought to the islands in the 19th century, was originally meant to scare off evil spirits.
"Now it's for the spectacle and enjoyment," Brown said.
But not everyone loves the display. For example, the Hawaii branch of the American Lung Association annually campaigns for reduced fireworks use, citing dangerous levels of air particle pollution.
"[The smoke] blocks most of the light like a thick fog, and people object to it," Brown said. "It causes breathing problems. They object to pets being terrified and running away."
In 2000 the state government, hoping to curb enthusiasm for the noisemakers, passed a law requiring a U.S. $25 permit to purchase 5,000 firecrackers.
There's no limit on the number of permits an individual can buy, and many people get several. Honolulu, a city with nearly 400,000 residents, sold 13,981 permits in 2005.
Bountiful Food
While the firecracker tradition may spark divisions among Hawaiian residents, sharing food brings family, friends, and neighbors together, said Myles Tanaka, whose ancestors immigrated to Hawaii in the early 19th century from Japan.
"Around New Year's was a time when we were able to sample a lot of the different foods from other cultures," he said today on a broadcast of the Pulse of the Planet radio program.
(This news story and Pulse of the Planet receive funding from the National Science Foundation.)
For example, Portuguese prepare bean soup, Filipinos cook up pork adobo (marinated, boiled meat), and the Chinese make different kinds of dumplings, Tanaka said.
According to the Bishop Museum's Brown, another popular New Year's dish is mochi, a type of Japanese rice cake made with sticky rice that is repeatedly pounded.
"You literally stand there and whack at it," he said. The ritual, primarily performed by adult men, is something young boys look forward to participating in, he added.
Good Luck
In the past 10 to 15 years, the Japanese tradition of making and displaying kadomatsu has also become widespread, Brown noted.
Similar to flower arrangements, the decorative pieces are made of green bamboo and pine boughs tied together. People place them at the front door or entrance to a building to bring in good luck and ward off evil spirits.
"Interestingly, in Japan kadomatsu is not that popular," Brown said. "They don't make a lot of use of it anymore. In contrast, here it has become more popular and is used by lots of people who aren't Japanese."