As a child, I was told that ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian Language, was dead. I was told that, except for in songs, no one used it any more. It could only be found in old Bibles, and a few old song books.
But, the truth is, there was a whole world of vibrant Hawaiian Language publishing into the middle of the 20th Century! Ka Hoku o Hawaii was still publishing in August of 1948 – ten years before I was born. And that is only the newspapers that have been found in archives, closets, attics. . . how many more, lesser-known smaller papers may be lying folded and forgotten, hidden away until someone repairs a bit of plumbing, and finds them used to stop the wind from whistling through cracks in the siding behind the cabinet?
Following, from Ka Hōkū o Hawaiʻi, April 30, 1941. Mahalo nui loa to Nūpepa Hawaiʻi independant blog.
The Day to Wear Lei
Regarding tomorrow, it is a great day here in Hilo, it is the day to wear lei, and everyone will be seen walking on the streets with lei.
Because tomorrow has become the day to wear lei, the Civic Club of Hilo took steps to hold a grand exhibit, and it will be shown to the public.
This event is held every year by this association, and this they expanded it by planing to have a grand entertainment at Kalakaua Square. At the same time, the queen who recently was victorious at the Holoku Ball this past month will preside while those that did not win the contest will be her attendants.
Joining in on the exhibition will also be queens chosen from the various schools of Hilo nei.
There will also be music by the Civic Club Choir, the Hawaiian Women’s Club of Hilo, and the County Band and the Hilo High School Band.
Within the lei exhibit will be held a competition for the most beautiful, and so forth. There is $151 set for that event, for 10 categories. The County gave its assistance in this by setting aside $100 for it, along with assistance by the merchants of Hilo nei.
The judges for the lei and the flowers of that day are: Mrs. Lorna Desha, chairman; Miss Helen Kaina, Mrs. Annabelle Ruddle, Mrs. Eliza Todd and Miss Caroline Shipman.
The committee for the lei and flowers are: Mrs. Irene Silva, chairman; Mrs. Mary Eaton; Mrs. Mary Lee Loy; Mrs. Josephine Victor; Mrs. Mary Moku and Mrs. Emma Hopfe.
The head chairman of this event is Clifford Bowman.
Our hope and desire is that the work and the direction of this Hawaiian Association will progress and that this fine function will continue for a long time.
(Hoku o Hawaii, 4/30/1941, p. 5)
A huge “Mahalo Nui Loa” to our friends at nupepa-hawaii.com for all their work in bringing to light the journalistic traditions of Hawaiʻi nei. If not for their contacting me with this link, I would not know about my aunt, Hazel Carter Yuen, being Hilo’s 1941 Lei Day Queen! ~Leilehua Yuen, editor
The picture above is of Mrs. Hazel Carter Yuen, the one chosen as Queen for the upcoming Lei Day, the 1st of May, held by the Hawaiian Civic Association [Hui Kiwila Hawaii] of Hilo. She received the most ballots from amongst her running mates, and on the night of this past Saturday at the Holoku Ball of the Hawaiian Civic Association the one who took the win was announced.