{"id":27,"date":"2004-12-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2004-12-15T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www2.hawaii.com\/2004\/12\/15\/about-the-hawaiian-luau\/"},"modified":"2023-07-27T11:10:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T21:10:22","slug":"hawaiian-luau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/hawaiian-luau\/","title":{"rendered":"About the Hawaiian Luau"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_19057\" style=\"width: 730px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2004\/12\/03288.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19057\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19057\" src=\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2004\/12\/03288.jpg\" alt=\"Royal court and hula dancers at the Sheraton Kauai luau | Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) \/ Tor Johnson\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2004\/12\/03288.jpg 720w, https:\/\/hawaii.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2004\/12\/03288-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-19057\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Royal court and hula dancers at the Sheraton Kauai luau | Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) \/ Tor Johnson<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>L\u016b\u02bbau<\/em> weren&#8217;t always called <em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em>. Until the mid-1800s small get-togethers were called <em>p\u0101\u02bbina<\/em> and large banquets \u2014 the equivalent of today&#8217;s\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em> \u2014 were referred to as \u02bb<em>aha\u02bbaina.<\/em> These root words mean, among other things, &#8220;gathering&#8221; (\u02bb<em>aha<\/em>) and &#8220;eating&#8221; (\u02bb\u0101<em>ina<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>Local records show the word &#8220;<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em>&#8221; was first publicly used to describe the \u02bb<em>aha\u02bbaina<\/em> in 1856, in the pages of the <em>Pacific Commercial Advertiser<\/em> (the weekly predecessor of what later would be <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.staradvertiser.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Honolulu Advertiser<\/a><\/em>). The word\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau\u00a0<\/em>also refers to\u00a0the leafy top of the young taro plant, especially when baked in coconut cream with chicken or octopus. Not surprisingly, this dish is a staple of the\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em> menu.<\/p>\n<p>Much has changed since the days of the ancient\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em>. Women and men are allowed to eat together, which was forbidden in Hawai\u02bbi before the Hawaiian culture&#8217;s system of <em>kapu<\/em> (taboos) was eliminated in 1819. Women are also allowed to eat foods that were once denied them, such as bananas, coconuts, pork, turtle and several types of fish.<\/p>\n<h2>Luau Dance and Entertainment<\/h2>\n<p>The lyrical hula dance \u2014 now referred to as the ancient, or <em>kahiko<\/em>, style of hula \u2014 was once accompanied with chants (<em>mele<\/em>) to honor the gods. Today it is performed for entertainment and to remember the ways of old. A more modern style, called \u02bb<em>auana<\/em>, has become popular since the 1970s, when a renaissance of native Hawaiian culture began. Both styles are performed at\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em>, and commercial events often showcase Tahitian and Samoan dance styles as well. Tahiti and Samoa are believed to be ancestral homelands of the Hawaiians.<\/p>\n<h2>Luau Foods<\/h2>\n<p>Although some\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em> menus have evolved to include sushi, teriyaki chicken, Chinese manapua buns and the ubiquitous macaroni salad, traditional\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em> food is served at many events. Authentic dishes include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>kalua<\/em> pork (an entire pig roasted underground in a handmade pit called an <em>\u02bbimu<\/em> oven)<\/li>\n<li><em>lomi lomi<\/em> salmon (diced with tomatoes and onions, like a salsa)<\/li>\n<li>chicken long rice (transparent noodles)<\/li>\n<li><em>huli-huli<\/em> (barbequed) chicken<\/li>\n<li><em>haupia<\/em> (coconut custard)<\/li>\n<li><em>laulau<\/em> (pork, chicken or fish wrapped and steamed in ti leaves)<\/li>\n<li><em>poi<\/em> (taro root mashed with water into a pale purple paste)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Contemporary Luau Celebrations<\/h2>\n<p>As Christianity swept through Hawai\u02bbi in the 19th century, the\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em> lost its pagan roots and became more commonly a chance to relax and enjoy family and friends with good food and music. This spirit prevails in nearly every aspect of life in Hawai\u02bbi. One of the most dutifully observed local rituals is the &#8220;baby\u00a0<em>l\u016b\u02bbau<\/em>,&#8221; a grand celebration staged on a child&#8217;s first birthday. <em>L\u016b\u02bbau<\/em> are also held for graduations, class reunions, and other important events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>L\u016b\u02bbau weren&#8217;t always called l\u016b\u02bbau. Until the mid-1800s small get-togethers were called p\u0101\u02bbina and large banquets \u2014 the equivalent of today&#8217;s\u00a0l\u016b\u02bbau \u2014 were referred to as \u02bbaha\u02bbaina. These root words mean, among other things, &#8220;gathering&#8221; (\u02bbaha) and &#8220;eating&#8221; (\u02bb\u0101ina). Local records show the word &#8220;l\u016b\u02bbau&#8221; was first publicly used to describe the \u02bbaha\u02bbaina in 1856,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":19057,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3810],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-historic-info"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.9 (Yoast SEO v24.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>About the Hawaiian Luau | Hawaii.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Luau weren&#039;t always called l\u016b\u02bbau. 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