Floral Parade

Floral Highlights

2023 Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade

K. W. Bridges & N. L. Furumoto

All photos were taken by the authors on June 10, 2023, in Honolulu, HI, USA.

Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade

Kamehameha celebrations are held each year on all the major islands. On O`ahu, two events stand out as public activities commemorating Hawai`i’s first king: lei draping the Kamehameha statue and the Floral Parade. It is the parade that’s the subject of this photo-essay.

The parade extends about four miles. It begins, appropriately, very near the Kamehameha statue in downtown Honolulu. The route follows the city streets, eventually entering Waikiki and finishing at Kapi`olani Park. The parade begins at 9:00 AM with the last participants taking to the street about an hour later.

This year was the 106th Annual Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade. What we saw is an outpouring of Hawaiian culture and history. The parade features civic clubs and organizations, marching bands, pageant winners, and pā`ū riders, along with a few commercial sponsors. Flowers adorn everything.

One of the most popular groups in the parade is the pā`ū riders, wahine (women) who wear long, colorful skirts called pā`ū and ride astride, rather than sidesaddle. In the parade, each one wears lei and an elaborate floral headdress. The horses are adorned with flowers, too.

In this photo-essay, the focus is on the cultural and floral elements of the parade. We’ll see how the leaves and flowers are used to create beautiful and intricate designs.

Draping the Statue

The Kamehameha I statue, a 18-foot-tall bronze monument to the first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawai`i. It stands in front of Ali`iolani Hale, the Hawai`i State Supreme Court Building, in Honolulu.

King Kamahameha’s pose, with one arm reaching out, is reflected in the gestures of many parade participants. This sweeping motion is a symbolic gesture of aloha and conveys the spirit of friendly greeting.

The figure is draped in long lei, each about 30 feet long, made of plumeria flowers. These are placed on the statue on the day preceding the annual Kamehameha Day parade. The lei come from Hawaiian Royal Societies, Ali`i Trusts and Government Entities. These groups include many of the parade’s participants.

The flower-decked statue is an impressive backdrop for the parade. It is also a symbolic location toward which many of the parade participants pay homage.

The Parade Begins

Honolulu police wear maile lei as they clear the street for the start of the parade.

The photo location is at the entrance to Iolani Palace, across from the King Kamehameha statue. We get to see the participants at the start of the long walk to Kapi`olani Park.

Some of the people near us have connections to the parade participants. We can hear bits and pieces of conversations that recount events from past years.

It is a particularly nice day.

A color guard carries the national and state flags by the Kamehameha statue. Then we get our first horse as the banner announcing the start of the Kamehameha Day Parade comes by next.

The Royal Hawaiian Band is next. It’s always a treat to hear them play. This musical group is one of the cultural icon as the organization was formed in 1836 by King Kamehameha III.

Cultural Groups

The King Kamehameha celebrations are coordinated by the King Kamehameha Celebration Committee (KKCC). There is a lot of work to be done to ensure the quality and authenticity of the celebrations are maintained. This involves activities (including parades) on all the major islands. This coordination group was organized in 1939.

Each year, the Committee selects a motto for the celebration. In 2023, it is E ala e nā kini o ka ʻāina! (Arise all people of the land!).

The Commissioners of the KKCC represent the following organizations (plus members representing each of the islands):

• Royal Order of Kamehameha I`Ahahui Ka`ahumanu

• Hale O Nā Ali`i

• Daughters & Sons of Hawaiian Warriors, Māmakakaua

• Daughters of Hawai`i

• Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

• Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association

• Kapahulu Music Club

• Waimānalo Hawaiian Homestead Association

• Papakōlea Community Association

There is considerable reverence shown by the representatives of these cultural groups as they participate in the parade.

Blowing the Conch Shell

There is great cultural significance in the use of the pū (conch shell). Important ceremonies are started by blowing the conch shell. How this is done has deep and sacred meanings. Making the sound pure and clear shows respect for the culture. How many times you blow and the directions you face is governed by an ancient protocol. There are multiple meanings, both secular and religious, in this ritual.

Pū are precious and are handed down through generations. These shells are either the Horned Helmet (Cassis cornuta) or the Triton’s Trumpet (Charonia tritonis). Both are large marine gastropod molluscs.

Pā`ū Riders

Horses were introduced to Hawai`i in 1803. These animals soon became invaluable for their work with the expanding cattle industry. People also used horses for much of their transportation.

Women needed to protect their fine clothes when they traveled by horse to social events. Two wardrobe items were created. A poncho-like garment, called a kīpola (wrapper), protected the blouse and bodice. A long skirt, the pāʻū, covered the rest of the clothing. The cloth (12 yards long) would blow in the wind, especially when a woman would gallop. Ribbons attached to a rider’s hat and kīpola added to the dramatic effect. This was a popular sight.

The advent of cars resulted in laws prohibiting pā`ū-style galloping. Pā`ū riding began to die out.

In 1907, some pā`ū riders entered the Washington Day Parade. Nostalgia caught hold. Soon, pā`ū riders were in every parade.

The cost of renting horses (about $1,000 each) plus training-time costs, has produced a challenge for the cadre of volunteer riders. Considerable time and expense goes into the activities needed to participate.

Fred Cachola

The Family of Fred Cachola is this year’s Grand Marshall.

Fred Keakaokalani Cachola was born in 1935 and died on February 20, 2023.

Fred was a teacher, an educational administrator, a community leader, and a Hawaiian cultural advocate. His roots went deep into the Kohala community. He did much to help conserve important lands.

Kamehameha Schools awarded Fred their highest honor, the Order of Ke Ali`i Pauahi award. This recognized Fred for lifetime of service in the Hawaiian community. The Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai`i named him a Living Treasure of Hawai`i.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs said that “Fred taught us to understand who we are as a people and demonstrated how we can uphold our kuleana and use aloha and unity as strengths in advocating for our ‘āina and people.”

Kamehameha Schools

The Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade honors King Kamehameha I, the first ruler to unite the Hawaiian Islands. The parade also celebrates traditional Hawaiian culture, which was once suppressed by colonial rulers. Kamehameha Schools, which was founded by King Kamehameha’s granddaughter, now participates in the parade with a band, its booster club, trollies, and a few decorated vehicles. This is a fitting tribute to the school’s commitment to preserving and perpetuating Hawaiian culture.

In the past, some school administrators had the opposite view of the value of Hawaiian culture. They believed that Hawaiian was a “dead” language, opposed hula dancing, and viewed Hawaiian culture as inferior to Western culture. However, we now know that Hawaiian culture is a vibrant and living tradition that is worth preserving. Kamehameha Schools reversed its early beliefs and now promotes the importance of Hawaiian culture and the need to continue to fight for its survival. This change serves as a reminder of how close society can come to the loss of important traditions and values.

Polynesian Cultural Center

Pacific-wide cultural diversity came to the parade with the enthusiastic participants from the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). The role of this insitution goes beyond tourism as the workers are generally students at the Hawai`i campus of Brigham Young University. Employment at the PCC helps defray the costs of education.

In its own way, the PCC attempts to preserve many of the cultural traditions of the Pacific nations, including elements of Hawai`i.

Island Representation

As a general rule in the current Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parades on O`ahu, each pā`ū group consists of a page that carries the unit’s banner, the princess, one or more female attendants and one or more male escorts. The island units tend to be small, perhaps just four people, while the queen’s unit can be as large as eight people. Add to this a few people walking behind each unit; the pooper scoopers.

The riders gather the materials and make their own lei. The construction of the lei varies with each unit; some are wound while others are sewn. What’s important is the choice of flower colors.

Each pā`ū unit has a color associated with the island it represents. This color is used for the flowers, pā`ū and kīpola.

• Hawai`i: red

• Maui: pink

• Kahoolawe: gray

• Lana`i: orange

• Moloka`i: green

• O`ahu: yellow

• Kaua`i: purple

• Ni`ihau: white