Merry Monarch Festival Week!

The Merry Monarch Festival is dedicated to the memory of King David Kalakaua, known as the Merrie Monarch. King Kalakaua came to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1874 and reigned until his death in 1891. He was a patron of the arts, especially music and dance.

Kalakaua almost single-handedly restored many of the nearly extinct cultural traditions of the Hawaiian people. These included myths and legends, and the hula, which had been forbidden by the missionaries for over 70 years.

It is a week long celebration with Hula dancers from all over the world (Halau, is the hawaiian word for a Hula school. Halaus from as far as Japan and Mexico come to compete in what is the worlds largest Hula festival. There are live Hula performances in several places in Hilo all week long, and at the end of the week the biggest parade in Hilo takes place.

This is our second Merry Monarch Parade (Charlotte's first, she couldn't make it to last years' parade). This time, our friend David was here. He just moved from California to the Big Island, he is living and working at a work farm in Honoka'a. He also came to visit last year.

This year, Charlotte, as Girl Scout Leader was going to have her troop parade with the school's group. Hana also marched as a Brownie. Here she is in her full uniform.

The morning of the parade one of the gardenias that Leslie & Macario gave us had the most perfect flower on it......

So, of course, a beautiful flower like that, could only go on a beautiful face like this..

Here is Charlotte before the parade helping some of the girls of the school band with their hair..

Before the parade rain was falling in downtown, but at parade time, the skies cleared up to allow Mauna Kea to get a full view of the celebrations.....

Yes, that is snow still on the top of the mountain, April 5th 2008 and still some snow up there!

Meanwhile David and I went over to Park Kalakaua to see some of the Hula performers and some of the arts being sold there....

Then it was parade time. In the parade there are hundreds of people representing different groups march in, such as shool music bands , several military groups and bands, police and firemen, Hula schools, ethnic groups, and the queens from all the islands parade in horses decorated with the most beautiful leis you have ever seen.....

Here are some pictures of the St. Joe's parade group, being lead by Charlotte's Girl Scout Troop holding the school banner...

This video summarizes what is all about...

I know, I messed the second title, should've said non Hawaiian, instead of none Hawaiian, but, I had already saved the video and could not make the changes......