June 11 is Kamehameha Day in Hawai‘i! It’s a state holiday established by Kamehameha V in 1871 to honor his grandfather, Kamehameha I.
Did you know that there are four statues of Kamehameha that are decorated with lei every year on this special day?
The original statue created by Thomas R. Gould, a Boston sculptor, stands in the small town of Kapa‘au in Kohala near the birthplace of Kamehameha. In Hilo, where stories abound of Kamehameha surfing in Hilo Bay long before there was a breakwater, his statue faces the ocean with arm outstretched.
The most-photographed statue in Honolulu is across from ‘Iolani Palace, and there’s even a Kamehameha statue in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
2023 Big Island Kamehameha Day Celebrations
HILO
June 10 5pm King Kamehameha Statue Lei Draping (Kamehameha Schools Alumni)
June 11 9am King Kamehameha Statue Lei Draping (The Royal Order of Kamehameha ‘Ekahi) Music and entertainment throughout the day
KONA
June 10 9am King Kamehameha Day Floral Parade
June 10 11:30am-3pm King Kamehameha Celebration Ho‘olaule‘a (Hulihe‘e Palace)
KOHALA
June 11 8am King Kamehameha Statue Lei Draping (morning protocol begins at sunrise)
June 11 9am King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade
June 11 11am 105th King Kamehameha Celebration Ho‘olaule‘a
Ali‘i Nui Kamehameha
Although he was called a “King” by Europeans and Americans in early Hawai‘i, Kamehameha was an ali‘i nui. He was the highest of high chiefs, born to fulfill ancient Hawaiian prophecies. The prophecy chants were about the birth of a leader who would unite the Hawaiian Islands and stop the battles between island chiefs.
According to ancient chants, Kamehameha was born on a stormy night in North Kohala when a bright star they called “Kokoiki” appeared in the skies trailing a long tail behind it. Historians discovered that in November 1758, Halley’s Comet streaked across the Hawaiian skies and this is considered the year of Kamehameha’s birth.
Kamehameha’s mother was Chiefess Keku‘iapoiwa and Chief Keoua Kupuapaikalaninui claimed him as his son. Because of the prophecy of his birth, the baby was at risk of being harmed by those in political power. Ancient chants describe how Keku‘iapoiwa wrapped her baby in soft kapa cloth and handed him to Nae‘ole who ran with the infant through hidden lava tubes into the valley called ‘Awini on the way to Waipi‘o Valley.
As a boy he was known as Pai‘ea, named after the hard-shelled Hawaiian crab. He was raised in secrecy in Waipi‘o Valley, later living with his parents in the Kona district. He was named “Kamehameha”— “The Lonely One”— and trained by special kahuna (priests) to become the greatest ali‘i in Hawai‘i’s history.
Kamehameha manifested the prophecy of the ancient Hawaiian priests. He was 20 years old on the Kona shoreline in 1779 when Captain James Cook’s HMS Resolution sailed into Kealakekua Bay. He used his diplomatic skills to quickly learn Western ways and before long amassed a huge fleet of war canoes and warriors. By 1810, he had united the islands of O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i, and the island of Hawai‘i to establish the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Kamehameha was a talented statesman who reigned during a historic period of prosperity and peace. During this time, Hawai‘i traded with foreign nations and developed the sandalwood industry. He introduced Ke Kanawai Mamalahoe or the Law of the Splintered Paddle, protecting the weak and ensuring that every man, woman, and child had the right to “lie down to sleep by the roadside without fear of harm.” It is enshrined in Hawai‘i’s state constitution and is a model for laws protecting human rights and public safety.
Kamehameha the Great…the child Pai‘ea…The Lonely One…beloved Ali‘i Nui…took his last breath on May 8, 1819 in Kailua-Kona. Keeping with ancient protocol, his bones were hidden away to protect his mana or power. His final resting place is still unknown today.
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