Aloha & Mahalo

Aloha

[Alo = presence, front, face] + [hâ = breath]

"The presence of (Divine) Breath."

Mahalo

[Ma = In] + [hâ = breath] + [alo = presence, front, face]

"(May you be) in (Divine) Breath."

Think of them as single-word blessings or prayers.

[Pronounced:

ah loh' hah

&

mah hah' loh]

If you learn just two words in Hawaiian,

learn these.

They are two of the most important words

in the Hawaiian language,

representing paramount Hawaiian values.

Aloha and mahalo are among

the most sacred and powerful.

Aloha and mahalo are ineffable, indescribable,

and undefinable with words alone;

to be understood, they must be

experienced.

"ALOOOOOOHAAAA!"

is often heard to draw tourists into a shop,

to get an audience into a certain mood, etc.

But its real spirit, and its real use

by those who have the spirit,

has not been eclipsed.

The Islands of Aloha...

Paradise of the Pacific.

Hawaii is one of the youngest

geological formations in the world

and the youngest state of the union.

Hawaii is the former seat

of a royal kingdom.

Hawaii has the only U.S. city to be founded by royalty

(Honolulu, on the island of Oahu),

and hosts the only royal residence

on U.S. soil (‘Iolani Palace).

Queen Lydia Liliuokalani

Below, in the words of Hawai'i's last reigning monarch,

Queen Lili`uokalani (1891-93),

is the true meaning of "Aloha."

"And wherever [the native Hawaiian] went he said 'Aloha'

in meeting or in parting.

'Aloha' was a recognition of life in another.

If there was life there was mana, goodness and wisdom,

and if there was goodness and wisdom

there was a god-quality.

One had to recognize the 'god of life' in another

before saying 'Aloha,' but this was easy.

Life was everywhere -

in the trees, the flowers, the ocean, the fish,

the birds, the pili grass, the rainbow, the rock -

in all the world was life--

was god--was Aloha.

Aloha in its gaiety, joy, happiness, abundance.

Because of Aloha, one gave without thought of return;

because of Aloha, one had mana. Aloha had its own mana.

It never left the giver but flowed freely and continuously

between giver and receiver.

'Aloha' could not be thoughtlessly or indiscriminately

spoken, for it carried its own power.

No Hawaiian could greet another with 'Aloha'

unless he felt it in his own heart.

If he felt anger or hate in his heart

he had to cleanse himself before he said 'Aloha'."

Source: Helena G. Allen, The Betrayal of Lili`uokalani,

Last Queen of Hawaii, 1838-1917

Hawaii is the only place on earth that hosts

all branches of the U.S. military.

Hawaii has two official languages —

Hawaiian and English.

Aloha is one of the most important words

in the Hawaiian language.

It means hello, goodbye, and love.

Aloha is used in a host of other descriptive ways.

On a spiritual level,

"Aloha" is an invocation of the Divine

and "Mahalo" is a Divine blessing.

Both are acknowledgments of the Divinity

that dwells within and without.

Hawai'i is like no other place on earth.

Hawaii's Population - 1,262,840.

According to the Hawaii.com team,

the 137 islands, islets, and shoals,

that make up the Hawaiian Island chain, sits

at the northern tip of the Polynesian Triangle,

an expanse of ocean roughly the size of Europe

and North America combined.

As one of the most geographically isolated,

continuously populated spots on Earth,

Hawaii is a land of many contrasts.

Urban Honolulu,

on the island of O'ahu,

is the capital city.

It is also considered as a

cosmopolitan metropolis

with a population of more than 370,000.

Culture

Hawaii's culture is every bit as diverse as its geography,

with a substantial number of ethnic groups

from Asia and Oceania.

Virtually every nation and ethnicity are represented in

Hawaii's food, festivals, music, and art.

The possibilities to participate in Hawaii's rich culture

are limited only by the imagination.

It's no secret that the Islands of Aloha

are a scenic paradise for the senses,

but an exploration of the rich cultural history

of the Hawaiian people

makes one's first-time visit to the islands...

even richer.

Hawaii is the birthplace

of surfing and the hula.

Today's visitors can find tours, hula, hip hop,

the Honolulu Symphony, and community theater...

just to name a few entertainment arenas.

Hawaii...

🌈

the Rainbow Capital.

Hawaii’s most unique feature

is its Aloha Spirit:

which is the warmth of the people

of Hawaii.

The Aloha Spirit

wonderfully complements

the Islands’ perfect temperatures.

84°F High

72°F Low

20%

Chance of Rain

44%

Cloud Cover

The temperature in Honolulu, Hawaii

in November tends to be very predictable,

so you can generally count on the forecast

and travel light.

Climate

All Hawaiian Islands have a “dry side” and a “wet side.”

The windward (east) side of each island

attracts more annual rainfall.

The leeward (west) side is always

the drier area of the island.

Hawai’i’s climate features mild temperatures,

moderate humidity, and cooling trade winds.

Hawaii has no daylight savings time.

Time and Temperature

In memory of:

David Sloan Carswell

A special thanks to:

Everlasting O. Peace,

aka E.O. Peace (Harold Carswell),

Peyton Carswell,

and

Jodi Fukomoto

www.carolecgood.com