King Kamehameha Day was first observed in 1872 to honor the ruler known as the father of the Hawaiian Kingdom. King Kamehameha I united the Hawaiian islands under one rule, and celebrations of his legacy have been held every June for 153 years. Two back-to-back events in Honolulu this year showcased colorful rituals to honor the monarch.
Photo Essay: Celebrating The Kingdom Of Hawaiʻi’s First Monarch
King Kamehameha Day was first observed in 1872 to honor the ruler known as the father of the Hawaiian Kingdom. King Kamehameha I united the Hawaiian islands under one rule, and celebrations of his legacy have been held every June for 153 years. Two back-to-back events in Honolulu this year showcased colorful rituals to honor the monarch.
Thirty-foot-long yellow plumeria lei were carefully placed on the statue of King Kamehameha I during a Lei Draping ceremony Friday in front of Ali‘iōlani Hale in Honolulu. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Lei bearers from Papakōlea carry 30-foot yellow plumeria lei Friday in Honolulu during the Oʻahu King Kamehameha Lei Draping ceremony. The lei bearers were all Roosevelt High School football players. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Onlookers watch Papakōlea lei bearers raise 30-foot yellow plumeria lei to place on the King Kamehameha I statue’s extended right arm in front of Ali‘iōlani Hale. The building currently houses the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court. Aliʻiōlani Hale was once the seat of government for the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and the Republic of Hawaiʻi. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Thirty-foot-long lei from various hui are laid out to adorn on the King Kamehameha statue. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Pā‘ū riders Maryann Kobatake, left, and Daphne Lukela separate 30-foot long lei before the 2025 Oʻahu King Kamehameha Celebration Lei Draping Ceremony. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Sunlight finds Royal Hawaiian Band bandmaster Clarke Bright before the lei draping ceremony on the King Kamehameha I statue. In 1836 King Kamehameha III created the Royal Hawaiian Band. It is the only full-time municipal band with royal heritage in the United States, formerly called, “The King’s Band.” (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Lei bearers carry the 30-foot yellow plumeria lei with polished, wooden sticks. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Papakōlea lei bearers raise 30-foot yellow plumeria lei Friday. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
The 108th King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade
The Royal Hawaiian Band marches down Ala Moana Boulevard in the 108th King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade on Saturday in Honolulu. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade Pā‘ū Queen Gina Jingao leads the parade’s Pā‘ū Riders, as the women equestrians are known. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Pā‘ū Riders are equestrian wahine who wear long-flowing, colorful skirts with their horse adorned with lei. Each island is represented by a Pā‘ū Princess wearing the colors of their island.
King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade’s Mō‘ī — or king — float with Kamuela Wassman, top, makes its way down Ala Moana Boulevard. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)A member of the ‘Ahahui Ka‘ahumanu Society, Chapter I, Honolulu waves from a trolley in the 108th King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade Saturday. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
The ‘Ahahui Ka’ahumanu Society was established in 1864 by Princess Victoria Kamāmalu to care for senior citizens and the ill. They are one of four Royal Benevolent Societies that continue to perpetuate Hawaiian culture.
2025 O’ahu Pā‘ū Princess Theresa Ramento Tehiva greets the crowd wearing bright yellow, flowing pā‘ū and their horses with lei. Yellow is the official color of Oʻahu. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Māui, the demigod made popular in the 2016 Disney film “Moana,” walks the Earth with his giant, magic fish hook in the parade Saturday. Known among many Polynesian cultures, Māui has been known for various god-like acts. One common theme is his magic fish hook bestowing the power of shape shifting. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Ni’ihau Pā‘ū Princess Denese Ancheta greets the crowd wearing Pūpū ‘O Niʻihau lei. The color for Niʻihau bucks the trend using an achromatic color with no pigment: white. It’s because of the white, Pūpū ‘O Niʻihau (shell) only found on the Forbidden Isle. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Island of Ni’ihau Pā‘ū Riders follow their princess, Denese Ancheta, during the Saturday King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Lose Tukuafu of the Polynesian Culture Center’s theater department spreads her infectious joy dancing with her group from Lāʻie during the 108th King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade Saturday in Honolulu. She is part of the PCC’s Night Show and the Huki Show. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
