Friday, June 11, 2010

Happy Holiday, Hawaii...!


Never let it be said that the Hermit doesn't recognize the special holidays of other states!

Hawaii is celebrating a very special date in their history today...and I just wanted to let you know about it, just in case you wanted to join in the celebration!

King Kamehameha I Day (Hawaii)

Hawaii is the only American state that was once a kingdom with its own monarchy. One of the greatest kings was King Kamehameha I, also called, appropriately, Kamehameha the Great. His name means "the very lonely one" or "the one set apart." A statue of him can be found in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

King Kamehameha I probably was born some time around 1758, the year when Halley's comet became visible over Hawaii. A courageous warrior, the king conquered and united the entire Hawaiian islands into one kingdom. During his reign, which lasted from 1782 to 1819, Hawaii became an important center in the fur and sandalwood trades.

The last king in the Kamehameha dynasty was King Kamehameha V, who ruled from 1863 to 1872. During this time, the king proclaimed June 11 as a day to honor his grandfather, King Kamehameha I. Nowadays, King Kamehameha I Day is celebrated with parades, singing, and feasts.

King Kamehameha V was succeeded by King Lunalilo, King Kalakaua, and finally, the much beloved Queen Lili'uokalani. It was she who wrote the famous song, "Aloha Oe."

See? We don't play favorites here at the Hermit's place! The way I see it, if it's important enough to you to throw a statewide party, then it's certainly important enough to talk about here!

After all, even a Hermit likes a good party, ya know?

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit on the patio for a bit! Bring on the Hula Dancers!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am lucky in that I've been fortunate to have been to Hawaii for my honeymoon. One of the cool places I visited in Honolulu was Iolani Palace, the royal residence of the rulers of Hawaii. One pretty cool factoid - one of the later kings was very progressive, and had the palace wired for electricity before our own White House!

Here is a link to Iolani Palace.

http://tinyurl.com/2vfdttd

Thanks HermitJim - have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

Hey Hermit, anon again (from above) I just found a pretty cool blog whose writer is in your neck of the woods. Dolly Freed, the original writer of the book POSSUM LIVING, which is the name of the blog. Give it a look - you might like the content.

Sorry for topic shift - now back to our regularly scheduled programming . . . :^)

Ben in Texas said...

Yea,, thanks for the reminder..I made my one and only visit to the Islands and actually did visit the King's statue. Nice enough place to visit once, but I could never live there.

JoJo said...

Good Morning My Special One
Nice lesson on Hawaii. I would love to go there someday.
Could we get you to wear a grass skirt and serve the coffee this morning LOL
Have a wonderful day.

HermitJim said...

Hey Anon 5;44...
Thanks for the links this morning! I think I've read "possum living " before, but I'll have to go visit her blog!

Never been to Hawaii myself, but nearly every one else in my family has. Very beautiful from what I understand!

May have to go someday!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Ben...
I think I could get used to a place with no winter, ya know?

Certainly would be a change of pace!

Hey, thanks, buddy, for the visit today!

Ken said...

...yeah,we know,the last part of yer post gave it away Brother,using the cover of a kings info to "bring on the hula dancers"...nice...lol

HermitJim said...

Hey Ken...
Saw right through me, huh! I thought maybe I could sneak that one by without anyone noticing!

Have to admit, a nice little "Hula Dance" would go with the coffee pretty good this morning!

Hey, thanks for coming by this morning, my friend!

Mechanic in Illinois said...

The heck with the King,how about Sam Houston Day? Thanks for another great lesson.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mechanic...
Hate to say it, but I guess that one slid right under my radar!

I'll try and do better!

Thanks for coming by today!