Hawaiian Stationery - Hawaiian Luau Party Invitations - Tropical Luau Beach Party - Hawaiian Luau Tiki God

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Hawaiian Luau Stationery and Party Invitations.

Description: Hawaiian Luau Stationery captures the aloha spirit of the native people of Hawaii. Hawaiians are a great people who are famous for their hospitality and friendliness. Hawaiians love good music with good food which comes together as a Luau Party. With the grass skirt, tiki god, a ukulele, coconut, volcano, lush vegetation, beautiful beach at sunset and some flip flops - our Hawaiian Luau Stationery presents an iconic ideal of the Hawaiian Luau.

History of Hawaii: Hawaii was first settled by Polynesians sailing from other Pacific islands between A.D. 300 and 600. Hawaii was visited in 1778 by Captain James Cook, who called the group of volcanic islands the Sandwich Islands in honor of one of his sponsors, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, and reported the native name as Owyhee. (Cook also gave the Sandwich name to some islands near Argentina which are still known as the British Overseas Territory of the South Sandwich Islands).

Hawaii Creole English (HCE) locally referred to as 'Pidgin', is the native dialect of many born-and-raised residents and is a second dialect for many other residents. After English, the 2nd and 3rd most spoken individual languages are Ilokano and Japanese. Significant European immigrants and descendants also speak their native languages; the most numerous are Spanish, German, Portuguese and French. The vocabulary of HCE derives mainly from English but also has words from Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Portuguese. A pidgin English developed which by the early 20th century became a creole English, as pidgin speakers had children who acquired the pidgin as their own native language.

Hawaii was a native kingdom throughout most of the 19th century, when the expansion of the sugar industry meant increasing U.S. business and political involvement. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was deposed, and a year later the Republic of Hawaii was established with Sanford B. Dole as president. Following Hawaii's annexation in 1898, Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900. Hawaii was admitted to the Union on August 21st, 1959 and became the 50th state.

A large proportion of Hawaii's population has become a people of Asian ancestry, particularly Chinese, Japanese and Filipino, many of whom are descendants from waves of early foreign immigrants brought to the islands in the mid 19th century to work on the sugar plantations.

Though the traditional aboriginal Hawaiian culture remains only as remnants influencing modern Hawaiian society, there are reenactments of the cultural ceremonies and traditions throughout the islands. Some of the cultural influences have affected the culture of the U.S. at large, including the popularity, in altered form, of luaus, the hula, and tikis.

In ancient Hawaii, men and woman ate their meals apart. Commoners and women were also forbidden by the ancient Hawaiian religion to eat certain delicacies. This all changed when King Kamehameha II abolished the traditional religious practices in 1819. The Hawaiian luau was born when the King ate a feast with women as the symbolic act which ended the Hawaiian religious restrictions. The Hawaiian luau got it's name from a favorite dish that was eaten at these feasts. Young and tender leaves of the taro plant were combined with chicken, baked in coconut milk and called luau. The traditional Hawaiian luau feast was eaten on the floor. The luau feast included bowls filled with poi, platters of meat, and dry foods like sweet potatoes, salt, dried fish or meat covered in leaves and laid upon clean ti leaves. Utensils were never used at a luau - everything was eaten with the fingers. Tables were draped with white, but the entire tops were covered with ferns and leaves. Masses of flowers were placed about mingling with the ferns. The scent of the leis of flowers and maile leaves at a traditional Hawaiian luau are breathtaking.

The hula is a dance accompanied by a chant or song called a mele. There are many styles of hula from the serious and sacred hula to the lighthearted hula. Many hula were created to praise the Hawaiian chiefs or to entertain them. Serious hula was considered a religious performance, a minor error would invalidate the hula or bring dreadful consequences. Polynesian dancers who were learning to do sacred hula were ritually secluded and protected by the Hawaiian goddess Laka while they trained. Hula kahiko is performed today by dancing to the historical chants. Many hula kahiko are distinguished by traditional Polynesian costuming, an austere look, and a reverence for their spiritual roots. Modern Hawaiian hula is adapted from traditional hula ideas dance and mele and incorporates Western influences, primarily Christian morality and melodic harmony. The stories of the Hula auana may include events since the 1800's. The women's hula costumes are less revealing and the hula music shows strong Western influence.

Most Polynesians believe that Tiki was the first man created. Tiki gods, or ti'i are large carvings with human resemblance that often serve to mark the boundaries of sacred or significant sites. Soldiers returning from World War II brought home stories and souvenirs and Americans fell in love with tikis and the exotic Polynesian culture. Artists incorporated tikis and other Polynesian influences into their work. To many Americans tikis symbolize everything about the South Pacific. The popularity of tikis soared in 1959 when Hawaii became the 50th state, and tikis are still popular today. Disneyland has a tiki room and tikis add pizzazz to restaurants and parties and appear in shows like survivor.

Hawaii is a beautiful place to live or visit. The climate of Hawaii is mild. Snow only rarely falls on Maui's Haleakala. Mount Waialeale on the island of Kauai has the 2nd highest average annual rainfall on Earth ~ 460 in. The history of Hawaii can be traced through a succession of dominating industries: sandalwood, whaling, sugarcane, pineapple, military, tourism, and education. Cane sugar, pineapple, flowers, and nursery products are the chief products. Hawaii also grows coffee beans, bananas, and macadamia nuts. Since achieving statehood in 1959, the tourism is Hawaii's largest source of outside income.

The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes arising from the sea floor from a magma hotspot. Only volcanoes on the southern half of the Big Island, and the Loihi Seamount, are presently active, with Loihi being the newest volcano to form. The most recent volcanic eruption outside the Big Island happened at Haleakala (Haleakala) on Maui in the late 18th century.

Aside from Easter Island, Hawaii is farther away from land than any other landmass on Earth. Mauna Kea, Hawaii's tallest mountain is taller than Mount Everest if followed to its base at the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The Big Island of Hawaii is the world's 5th highest island. The Geographic center of the Hawaiian Islands lies between the islands of Hawaii and Maui. The center of population of Hawaii is located directly between the two islands of Oahu and Molokai.

Hawaiian Motto: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness)
Hawaii's Nickname: Aloha State (1959)
Hawaiian Flower: Hibiscus (yellow) (1988)
Hawaiian Song: “Hawaii Ponoi” (1967)
Hawaiian Bird: Nene (Hawaiian goose) (1957)
Hawaiian Tree: Kukui (candlenut) (1959)
Origin of Name: Uncertain. The islands may have been named by Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. Or they may have been named after Hawaii or Hawaiki, the traditional home of the Polynesians.
Land Area of Hawaii: 6,423 sq mi (16,637 sq km)