12-06-09 OPMUG King Kamehameha Day Parade

This weekend we  in Hawaii celebrate King Kamehameha I with a parade and festivities through out the islands.  Why celebrate... 

Kamehameha I (Hawaiian pronunciation: [kəmehəˈmɛhə]; ca. 1758 – May 8, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaiʻi's independence under his rule. Kamehameha is remembered for the Kanawai Mamalahoe, the "Law of the Splintered Paddle", which protects human rights of non-combatants in times of battle. Kamehameha's full Hawaiian name is Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea.

For more info you can go to Wikipedia King Kamehameha I

With this in mind, I joined other photographers from the OPMUG group and we spent the morning taking pictures of the parade.

I believe this was a husband and wife, they came down Punchbowl Street before the parade began.

 

It was probably hot but these young ladies looked very sharp in their uniform.

A pa'u rider representing the island of O'ahu.  Each of the 8 Hawaiian Island is represented by a different color:

Hawai'i - Red

Maui - Pink

O'ahu - Golden Yellow

Kaua'i - Purple

Moloka'i - Green

Lana'i - Orange

Kaho'olawe - Grey

Ni'ihau - White

Adorned in the colors and flora of the islands, the regal pa‘u riders are the highlight of every parade. 

Led by a princess outfitted in a long-flowing pa‘u or "skirt," each of the mounted equestrian units represents one of eight Hawaiian islands. A unit representing the Island of Hawai‘i, for example, will be draped in lei made of red lehua blossoms and wearing red attire, the official color of the Big Island. For the Island of Maui, the lokelani (rose) is incorporated, with pink as the chosen color, while Island of O‘ahu features the yellow ilima and yellow attire. In order to become the parade queen, a rider should have ideally ridden for each of the eight islands in parades through the years.

The wrapping of pa‘u in traditional fabric.

A type of culotte, the pa‘u skirt is made of 9- or 12-yards of fabric, wrapped in such a way so as to flow majestically past the stirrups to the ground. The skirt is held together with kukui nuts twisted inside the fabric and tucked into the waistband. The tradition dates to the 1800s when women wore pa‘u to protect their fancy clothing when riding to a party or gathering. The early 1900s heralded the arrival of pa‘u floral parades in Honolulu. Through the decades, the pa‘u parade tradition continued, not only for Kamehameha Day, but for Merrie Monarch and Aloha Festivals Week as well. Fabrics evolved into satins, but in the early days, calico or gingham were the fabrics of choice, fastened with rope around the waist and ankles and covering both feet.

I got the information about Pa'u Riders from a blog post on:

 Holualoa Inn