Square Kady Pascual Headshot RGZ5762

Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

What hand gesture do you use to signify a phone now days?

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@PIILANIKITCHEN

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Miscommunication</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @PiilaniKitchen, who has a phone call waiting.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Miscommunication

What hand gesture do you use to signify a phone now days?  Make sure you follow @PiilaniKitchen on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Upon being named the Kamehameha head football coach in 2023, Kaeo Drummondo evaluated his roster and realized the Warriors had a pair of generational talents in Taimane Purcell and Malakai Lee. 

Purcell and Lee, now both seniors, signed with their respective colleges at a signing day event held at Kamehameha's Kekuhaupi‘o's Gym on Wednesday morning. Purcell signed with the University of California, while Lee is bound for the University of Michigan. Both chose their collegiate destinations among dozens of other individual offers.   

Drummondo said players who posses the talent of Purcell and Lee come around once in a decade. He just so happened to have them both on his roster upon arrival. 

"These types of players don't come around every two or three years. They're generational. They come around every decade, every 15, every 20 years. We're talking about young men that may be playing football on Sundays (in the NFL)," Drummondo told Aloha State Daily. "The football side of it, you get excited because it helps you a little bit to strategize. But then as I kind of got to know them and their personalities and the type of character, how humble they were, I wasn't surprised, because I know both of their families from growing up."

Lee, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle, signed with the Wolverines after turning down overtures from some of college football's biggest blue bloods. Alabama, Texas and Georgia were among his other suitors. 

"I think from the first day I started getting recruited, I could feel a sense of home," Lee said of Michigan. "Whenever I've gone out there, whenever they came down here, I always felt like I had a stronger bond. I'm just super grateful. 

"It's been a long process, a lot of thought and consideration, but I'm confident with the choices I made. I'm just grateful to God for putting me in this position, but from here on out, I'm glad to be a Michigan man."

Lee says he's already visited the campus in Ann Arbor five times, most recently over the weekend, as Michigan hosted Ohio State in one of the sport's greatest rivalries. The unbeaten Buckeyes prevailed 27-9. 

After committing to Michigan in the summer, Lee stuck with his pledge, though other schools did not make it easy. 

"It was definitely hard these past couple of months," Lee said. "A couple of schools have been really reaching out to me, trying to get me to flip my commitment. But I just stayed true."

While Lee will be the only Michigan signee from Hawai‘i this year, Purcell joins a growing Island pipeline to Berkeley. 

In addition to Purcell, the Bears also signed Saint Louis quarterback Nainoa Lopes and 

 offensive lineman Esaiah Wong. Saint Louis lineman Kamo‘i Huihui-White was also committed to Cal but was not signed as of Wednesday morning. 

"I know there's some emotions of nervousness and being a little scared to go away to college and stuff, but I think my family and my support system is one of the best out there, and I think they're going to support me through it all, and they're going to make it very easy," Purcell said. "I think having people from the Island (at Cal), coming from the same culture that are from similar backgrounds and a similar place, having them around is going to make it a lot easier."

Purcell, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound athlete who has played on both sides of the ball for the Warriors like Lee, will narrow his focus to tight end with the Bears. He's hoping to catch passes from Campbell alum and current Cal star quarterback 

"I texted him here and there, just checking up," Purcell said of Sagapolutele. "He tells me what he thinks about the environment."

Although they're all set to go to college, Purcell and Lee have one high school game left: The 2025 HHSAA Open Division state title game against Campbell on Friday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. 

"We've been locked in. It's now or never," Lee said. "I'm super excited for it. I think for me and Taimane, it's a great experience. In all four years, we never got this close. And now that we're 

Added Drummondo: "I'm excited for today's practice. I'm excited to be able to go out on the field for two more days and watch them run around in preparation for Friday. I told the team last last night that Friday is waiting. We're excited for that opportunity, but I'm also excited to just have two more days of practice with them before we get out there on Friday."

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Taimane Purcell Malakai Lee 120325

<title>Prized Kamehameha prospects sign with college destinations before state title game</title>

Senior standouts Taimane Purcell and Malakai Lee signed with their respective future colleges on Wednesday morning.

Prized Kamehameha prospects sign with college destinations before state title game

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

My mother spent her teen years in Kona and was a paddler for the Kai ‘Ōpua Canoe Club, whose practices were held at Kamakahonu, the former home of Kamehameha I.

“This was long before they built the first Kamehameha hotel in 1960,” my mother said.

To reach the bay where her fellow paddlers gathered, my mother would have to walk through the old grounds of Kamehameha’s sacred home. She never had a problem until one day, before leaving the house, her mother handed her a canteen of kalua pig and a canteen of poi, and emphatically instructed her not to share any of her food, no matter who asked or what reason they gave. My mother thought the warning strange, but she obeyed and went on her way.

As she walked across the grounds, a chubby Hawaiian boy in blue shorts appeared beside her. He had wide, beautiful eyes, deep brown skin, and a thick head of hair.

My mother’s heart softened immediately. She sat down, opened her canteens, and let him eat. When he finished, he rubbed his belly, grinned, and shouted, “Mahalo!” before running toward the bay and disappearing into a small stand of hao trees.

Practice went as usual, and her walk home felt ordinary. But when she stepped through the kitchen door, her mother was waiting.

“Ua kaʻana like ʻoe i kāu mea ʻai?” she asked. 

My mother lied and said no. The punishment she received for that lie was swift and unforgettable, leaving no doubt about the seriousness of her disobedience. When it was over, her mother asked again, “Ua kaʻana like ʻoe i kāu mea ʻai?”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"This time, my mother answered truthfully."}]

“That was not a boy you shared your food with,” my grandmother said. “That was a kepalō, a hungry spirit. Now that you fed it, you have to keep feeding it, because if you don’t, the next time you go back to that place with nothing to feed that spirit, it will feed on you. I know how soft-hearted you are, lucky thing I prayed that whatever happened to you, would happen to me instead.”

My grandmother rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, revealing little bruised human bite marks, what they call Nahu, from her shoulders down to her wrists. Later, my grandmother offered additional prayers and a ceremony to protect my mother. After that day, she had to walk the long way around to her canoe paddling practice. She was no longer allowed to take the shortcut through the grounds of the original Ahu‘ena heiau.

Long before hotel lights glimmered across Kailua Bay, the area of Kamakahonu was the royal compound of Kamehameha I, where he worshipped at Ahu‘ena heiau and where the most influential figures in Hawaiʻi gathered nightly.

Some historians believe the heiau site was used for human sacrifice as early as the 15th century, during the reign of Ali‘i ‘Aimoku ʻUmialiloa. When Kamehameha restored the temple in the early 1800s, Ahuʻena had become the spiritual heart of his kingdom, and Ahuʻena and Kamakahonu remained sacred until the king’s death in 1819.

Six months later, Kamehameha’s successor, Liholiho, sat down to eat with his mother, Queen Keōpūolani, and Queen Kaʻahumanu, shattering the ‘ai kapu, the rule of law that said women could not eat together with men. By nightfall, the religious system that had governed Hawaiian life for centuries had begun its irreversible collapse.

In the aftermath, Kamakahonu’s purpose shifted. Governor John Adams Kuakini, Kaʻahumanu’s brother, fortified the area, building walls and mounting cannons where the royal compound had stood. When the first missionaries arrived in 1820, Kuakini granted Asa and Lucy Thurston a five-acre parcel overlooking the bay that included the original foundation of Ahu‘ena heiau. They named the place Laniākea, meaning “immense heaven.” Ironically, part of the land that once served as the seat of Kamehameha’s kingdom later came under the ownership of the missionaries’ grandson, Lorrin P. Thurston, who played an active role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom 73 years later.

By the early 1900s, Kamakahonu passed from spiritual significance into the hands of the commercial sector. H. Hackfield & Company purchased Kamakahonu, and after World War I, the firm evolved into American Factors and was later known as Amfac. The area became home to boathouses, lumberyards, and various businesses. The shoreline changed shape again and again, each shift pulling it further from its ancient identity.

Then, in the late 1950s, plans for the first King Kamehameha Hotel emerged. But Kona residents pushed back, as locals fought to protect Ahuʻena Heiau from destruction. Only when the state received assurances that the temple would be restored were the hotel plans approved, and the building that curved along the front of the bay opened for guests in 1960.

But promises blurred, and the finger-pointing began. Neither the state nor the hotel wanted to take responsibility for the restoration, and Ahuʻena remained untouched. It was not until 1965 that the hotel, along with some 30 Kona residents, many of whom were employed by the hotel, came together to rebuild the sacred structure themselves. They worked from written descriptions, oral accounts, and an 1816 sketch by Russian artist Louis Choris.

In 1973, when Amfac received permits to demolish and rebuild the King Kamehameha Hotel farther from the shoreline, the heiau again became a central bargaining point. This time, restoration was non-negotiable.

In 1975, with funding from Amfac, labor from Kona residents, and guidance from the Bishop Museum, an accurate, two-thirds scale replica of Ahuʻena Heiau rose from the stones. Renowned artist and historian Herb Kāne played a vital role, shaping the project with cultural knowledge and artistic insight. After nearly a year of building, the new Ahuʻena heiau stood overlooking the bay, once again creating a focal point for the mana of Kamakahonu.

Yet even with the hotel rebuilt and the heiau faithfully restored, Kamakahonu has never entirely shed the weight of its past. Some guests who have stayed at the King Kamehameha Hotel have reported waking in the middle of the night to the steady rhythm of chanting. The sound is soft at first, then grows clearer, as if voices were gathering just beyond the walls. Others speak of marching footsteps passing through the hallway outside their door, though no one is ever there when they look.

Downstairs, Herb Kāne’s paintings of canoes at sea, warriors, priests, and scenes from a kingdom built on discipline and devotion, fill the first-floor gallery. More than a few visitors have claimed that the figures in those paintings do not always remain still. They swear they’ve seen a head turn away, the flicker of an eye, the shift of a shadow that wasn’t cast by any moving person. Some visitors even insist they’ve heard the faint murmur of voices coming from within the artwork itself, as though the painted ancestors were still discussing matters of importance.

Whether these moments are glimpses of old spirits, echoes of history, or simply the mind recognizing the lingering mana of the place, one thing is certain: Kamakahonu has never been ordinary ground. It has carried kings and priests, warriors and missionaries, hotel workers and visitors from around the world. It has held ceremonies, sacrifices, prayers, and whispered warnings.

And beneath the modern rooms and polished floors, the past continues its quiet march, reminding anyone who listens closely that this small stretch of Kona shoreline remembers every footstep that ever crossed it.

King Kamehameha Hotel

<title>The Spirit of Kamakahonu</title>

Hungry spirits and haunted history surround the King Kamehameha Hotel on the Kona Coast of Hawai‘i Island. The area of Kamakahonu was home the royal compound of Kamehameha I, where he worshipped at Ahu‘ena heiau and where the most influential figures in Hawaiʻi gathered nightly.

The Spirit of Kamakahonu

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

The holidays are in full swing. Whether you’re looking for dine-in or takeout experiences — or seasonal holiday treats — we’ve got you covered.

[{"type":"text","text":"Check out the following:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"100 Sails Restaurant & Bar"}]

: 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar’s Christmas dinner buffet ($117 per adult, $58.50 for children ages 6 to 10 years old) includes options like snow crab legs, ‘ahi poke, sashimi, crab tartlets, lobster campanelle, temaki sushi, slow-roasted prime rib, rack of lamb, Prince bread pudding, Lāʻie vanilla custard pie, kahlua yule log, peppermint white chocolate brulee with candy cane crumble, gingersnap cookies and more.

The Christmas Day brunch buffet ($109 per adult, $54.50 for children ages 6 to 10 years old) includes many similar offerings, along with breakfast faves like kalua Benedict, bacon and sausage, an omelet station and more. 

: Christmas dinner buffet: 5-9:30 p.m. Dec. 24-28; Christmas brunch buffet 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Dec. 25

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Arden Waikīkī"}]

: Lotus Honolulu Hotel, 2885 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu

: Arden’s holiday menu ($109 per person, optional wine pairing for $40 per person) includes roasted carrot soup with curry crème fraiche, roasted butternut squash salad (cranberries, walnuts, chevre, apple-honey mustard vinaigrette), braised short rib (with mashed potatoes and mushroom medley), and apple-cinnamon bread pudding with sea salt caramel gelato. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Artizen by MW"}]

: Artizen by MW is offering a variety of seasonal treats that are perfect for stocking stuffers. Choose from fudge brownie cookies (three for $9), gingerbread snowflake cookies (three for $10), banana bread with almond streusel ($9), chocolate-covered toffee macadamia nuts ($11), Christmas macarons ($12), snowball cookies ($9), holiday sweet and salty snack mix ($10), holiday-decorated shortbread cookies ($10) and more. 

: Preorders now available; treats are available from Dec. 9 to 23

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hau Tree"}]

: Hau Tree will offer a special holiday dining experience on Dec. 24 and 25. The four-course holiday dinner ($155 per person) will include falafel with sambol lebna and scallop crudo, squash agnolotti with focaccia, choice of entrée (opah belly, soubise, brussels and roasted fennel or honey glazed pork chop, citrus pork jus, asparagus, bacon marmalade and charred onion) and desserts (Coquito cheesecake with butter rum sauce and candied pecans; chocolate cake, coffee, orange). 

: The four-course holiday dinner is available from 4 p.m. Dec. 24 and 25 

: Hilton Waikoloa Village is offering festive dining experiences at Nui Italian and Big Island Breakfast. Nui Italian will feature a coastal-inspired Feast of the Seven Fishes. The dining experience will include dishes like Hokkaido scallop crudo, grilled octopus with gigande beans and Calabrian chili aioli, cioppino with cold water lobster tail, local prawns, Littleneck clams and the local fish of the day, and Panettone bread pudding with rum-raisin caramel sauce, dried fruit and vanilla gelato for dessert.

Big Island Breakfast will feature a Christmas brunch buffet that includes housemade cinnamon roll pudding, traditional eggs Benedict, brown sugar pineapple bacon, eggnog French toast, waffle bar with holiday toppings, carving station with guava glazed ham with mashed potatoes and honey mustard seed sauce, garlic fried rice and more. 

: Dec. 25; 7-11 a.m. Christmas brunch at Big Island Breakfast 

: Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream recently turned its shop into a holiday wonderland. Enjoy seasonal flavors like eggnog (with or without Jack Daniels), caramel praline rum raisin and chocolate peppermint bark. Holiday toppings (holly and ivy or candy cane sprinkles) are also available. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hy’s Steak House"}]

: The Hy’s Christmas Experience ($251 per guest) is available for parties of two to four. It includes a luxe prix fixe dinner paired with fine wines.

[{"type":"text","text":"The prix fixe menu includes:"}]

Hy’s Steak House also offers ‘Ohana Feasts to-go ($585) for Dec. 24 and 25. It’s designed to serve eight to 10 people and include: focaccia rolls, shrimp cocktail, Christmas salad (feta cheese, raspberries, strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette), 2.5-3 pounds honey glazed ham, 4.5-5 pound slow-roasted prime rib (with au jus and creamed horseradish), butternut squash mashed potatoes, Ratatouille (with eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini), truffled mac and cheese, and eggnog cheesecake for dessert.

: Seatings from 4 to 8 p.m., Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, 2026; ‘Ohana Feast to-go pick-up from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 25

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kaimana Beach Hotel"}]

: Kaimana Beach Hotel’s Mele & Mimosas: Makahiki Edition ($65 per person) features a Gold Coast holiday tea party. This seasonal edition features Hobbs Tea Hawai

i; housemade pumpkin parmesan scones; your choice of an Island mimosa, specialty mocktail or iced tea; assorted sweets (gingerbread, peppermint macarons with dark chocolate filling and almonds, matcha mont blanc and eggnog panna cotta); savory bites (chicken and cranberry sandwich, prosciutto and brie tarts, goat cheese puffs with balsamic reduction and fig jam, and ham and cheese croissants). 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Merriman’s Honolulu"}]

: The Christmas prix fixe menu ($135 per person, $45 for children ages 12 years and younger) includes:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Plumeria Beach House"}]

: The Christmas Eve lunch buffet ($135 per adult, $55 for children ages 6 to 12 years old) includes a variety of salads (Hawaiian-style potato and macaroni, salmon tofu watercress, Chinese chicken salad and more); snow crab; fresh ‘ahi poke; ‘ahi and salmon sashimi; ‘ahi nigiri with truffle soy and kabayaki; breakfast specialties (classic eggs Benedict with Hollandaise, mochi waffles, thin pancakes with maple or coconut syrup); a create-your-own omelet station; carving station (Kāhala signature rib roast of beef, Mountain View Farms suckling pig and bao bun, roasted leg of lamb with mint jelly); hot selections (Plumeria Beach House signature misoyaki butterfish); and desserts like coconut haupia cake, mango cobbler, caramel cream puffs, Kāhala signature bread pudding with crème anglaise, chocolate yule log and more. The Christmas Day buffet ($135 per adult, $55 for children ages 6 to 12 years) includes similar offerings.

Plumeria Beach House is also offering a limited-edition Christmas cookie box ($28) from Dec. 15 to 23, as well as The Kāhala's fresh-baked Christmas Stollen ($43) from Dec. 1 to 23. 

: Christmas Eve lunch buffet: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Christmas Day buffet: 6:30-9:30 a.m., 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 3-8 p.m. 

kahalaresort.com/dining/plumeria-beach-house/

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Quiora"}]

: The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach, 

: Quiora’s Christmas Feast ($120 per adult, $60 for children ages 6 to 12 years) features a family-style menu. It includes:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Zippy’s"}]

: Zippy’s Christmas luau package ($159.95 online, $179.95 in-store and via phone) is designed to serve six to eight people. It includes eight pieces of lau lau, 2 pounds of kalua pig, 3.5 pounds of chicken long rice, eight pieces of haupia and 2 pounds of lomi salmon.

Zippy’s is also offering roast turkey plates ($18.15 in Honolulu) and roast turkey and ham combo plates ($17.35), available on Christmas Eve and Day.

Customers can also find desserts like Christmas donuts ($2.80 in Honolulu) and Christmas dream cakes ($29.95 in Honolulu), available on Dec. 24 and 25 at all Zippy’s locations, while supplies last. 

Christmas roundup part 1 Zippys 112625

<title>Where to eat on Christmas 2025 and seasonal holiday treats – part 1</title>

Whether you’re looking for dine-in or takeout experiences — or seasonal holiday treats — we’ve got you covered.

Where to eat on Christmas 2025 and seasonal holiday treats – part 1

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Ready to start the holidays with some festive parades? Aloha State Daily rounded up some of the offerings on Oʻahu so you don’t have to do the research. The following groups have secured 

 with the City and County of Honolulu for holiday festivities:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"FRIDAY, NOV. 28"}]

This event is sponsored by Kamehameha Lions Club and is expected to have eight vehicles and about 300 marchers. It will start at the United Church of Christ and proceed to Judd Street, Liliha Street and N. King Street, finally ending at Kohou Street. Roads will be closed from 5:30 p.m. to approximately 6:30 p.m.

Kalihi Business Association Christmas Parade. 

Approximately 500 participants are expected for this parade, which starts at Kalihi Union Church and ends at Kapalama Elementary School. Roads will be closed from 6 p.m. to approximately 7 p.m.

 Sponsored by Gateway Music Festival & Tours/Superior Bands

, the parade is expected to have more than 10 vehicles in addition to more than 10 bands, as well as about 2,000+ marchers. It starts at Saratoga Road and Kalakaua Avenue and ends at Kapiʻolani Regional Park. Roads will be closed at 6:30 p.m. and reopen at approximately 9:30 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SATURDAY, NOV. 29"}]

Sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Kai Lions Club, this event is expected to have 30 vehicles, three bands and about 1,200 marchers. It starts at Kamiloʻiki Community Park, proceeds to Lunalilo Home Rd and ends at Koko Marina Shopping Center. Lane closures start at 9 a.m. and reopen at approximately noon.

Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade. 

The City and County of Honolulu, in partnership with the Friends of Honolulu City Lights, will launch the 2025 Honolulu City Lights celebration with the traditional 

 as well as the Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade. The parade will start at ʻAʻala Park and take S. King Street to Honolulu Hale. Roads will be closed from 5 p.m. until approximately 11 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"THURSDAY, DEC. 4"}]

Sponsored by the Kaimukī Business & Professional Association, this event is expected to have 30 vehicles and three bands, plus about 1,500 marchers. It starts near Saint Louis School and Chaminade University and proceeds along Waialae Avenue ending at the Municipal Parking Lot. Lanes will be closed from 5 p.m. until approximately 8 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"FRIDAY, DEC. 5"}]

The Wahiawā Community & Business Association sponsored this parade, which is expected to have about 100 vehicles, 25 floats, five bands and about 1,500 marchers. It starts at Kaʻala Elementary School and proceeds to California Ave, ending at George Fred Wright Wahiawā District Park. Lanes will be closed from 5:30 p.m. until approximately 8:30 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SATURDAY, DEC. 6"}]

The Mililani Lions Club is sponsoring this event which is expected to have 80 vehicles, five floats, two bands and 1,500 marchers. It starts at Mililani High School and proceeds to Miliani Town Center. Roads will be closed from 8:30 a.m. until approximately 11 a.m.

Kāneʻohe Christmas Parade, Inc. will sponsor this parade with 56 vehicles, 23 floats, seven bands and about 1,800 marchers. The parade starts at Windward Mall and ends at Castle High School. Roads will be closed from 9 a.m. until about 12:30 p.m.

Street Bikers United – Toys for Tots Caravan.

 This event sponsored by Street Bikers United Hawaiʻi and The Toy Parade Inc. is expected to have about 4,000 motorcycles. It starts at Magic Island and heads to Ala Moana Blvd, Kalakaua Avenue and Monsarrat Avenue before ending at the parking lots for the Tom Moffatt Waikīkī Shell. Roads will be closed from 10:30 a.m. until approximately noon.

The City and County of Honolulu will host this parade that starts at Fort Barrette and Kapolei Parkway and ends at Kealakapu Street. Roads will be closed from 4 p.m. to approximately 8 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SUNDAY, DEC 7"}]

. East Mānoa Lions Club is sponsoring this event is expected to have 12 vehicles, five bands and 1,100 marchers. The parade starts at Noelani Elementary School and ends at Mānoa Valley District Park. Roads close at 4 p.m. and open at approximately 6 p.m.

Sponsored by the Pearl City Shopping Center, this parade includes nine vehicles, 20 floats, one band and about 500 marchers. It starts at Momilani Elementary School and ends at Pearl City Shopping Center. Roads will be closed from 4 p.m. until approximately 6 p.m.

Pearl Harbor Memorial Anniversary Parade. 

Pearl Harbor Tours LLC is sponsoring this event with about 60 vehicles, six floats, 10 bands, and about 3,000 marchers. It starts at Fort DeRussy and proceeds down Kalakaua Avenue to the grass area in front of Honolulu Zoo. Roads will be closed from 5:30 p.m. until approximately 7:30 p.m. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"THURSDAY, DEC. 11"}]

Kapahulu-Mōʻiliʻili Christmas Parade. 

The Kapahulu-Mōʻiliʻili Lions Club is sponsoring this parade with at least five vehicles and about 250 marchers. It starts at Prince Jonah Kūhiō Elementary School and ends at Isenberg St. in front of the Old Stadium Park. Lanes will be closed from 6:30 p.m. until approximately 7:30 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":" FRIDAY, DEC. 12"}]

The North Shore Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring this parade with about 50 vehicles, four bands and 500 marchers. It starts at Weed Circle and ends at Haleʻiwa Aliʻi Beach Park. Roads will be closed from 5:30 p.m. until approximately 9 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SATURDAY, DEC. 13"}]

ʻAiea Community Association Christmas Parade. 

Sponspored by the ʻAiea Community Association, this event is expected to have 35 vehicles, three bands and 450 marchers. It will start at Pearl Ridge Elementary School and end at the ʻAiea Public Library on Halewiliko Street. Lanes will be closed from 8 a.m. until approximately 10:30 a.m.

The Waiʻanae Coast Rotary Club is sponsoring this event which is expected to have 30 vehicles, five bands and 1,000 marchers. It starts at Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor and proceeds on Farrington Highway to Waiʻanae Mall. Lanes will be closed from 9 a.m. until approximately 11:30 a.m.

Sponsored by Hawaiʻi Pau Riders, this event is expected to have 10 vehicles, five floats, two bands and about 250 marchers. It starts at Kumuhau Street and ends at Waimānalo Beach Park. Lane closures begin at 8:45 a.m. and end at approximately 11:30 a.m.

The Ahupuaʻa O Nānākuli Homestead is holding an event, called Christmas on the Avenue, for approximately 5,000 participants. The event includes gifts for kids of all ages, vendors, and local talent. Pets are not allowed. Nānākuli Avenue 

between Mano Avenue and Piliaʻau Avenue. Lanes closures begin at 1 p.m. and end at approximately 12 a.m. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SATURDAY, DEC. 20"}]

ʻEwa Beach Lions Club Christmas Parade. 

ʻEwa Beach Lions Club is sponsoring this parade which is expected to have 45 vehicles, 10 floats and two bands, as well as 300 marchers. It starts at James Campbell High School and goes from there to North Road, Waver Road, Kuhina Street and finally back to North Road and the high school’s parking lot. Lane closures run from 8 a.m. to approximately 11:30 a.m.

This event, sponsored by Olomana Community Association, will have six vehicles and one band, as well as about 50 marchers. It starts and ends at Maunawili Elementary School. Lanes will be closed from 2 p.m. until approximately 3 p.m.

Sponsored by Called Ministry Inc., this parade is expected to have about 300 participants. It starts and ends at Moanalua High School. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at approximately 8 p.m.

Honolulu Hale

<title>20-plus Christmas parades on Oʻahu</title>

Neighborhood parades start this weekend across Oʻahu. Here is a list of more than 20 events happening between Nānākuli and Hawaiʻi Kai in the next few weeks.

20-plus Christmas parades on Oʻahu

Everyone’s looking to save money and get the most bang for their buck. This series will show you where you can save while still savoring a good meal.

 is known for its all-you-can-eat wagyu hot pot dinner experience, but the eatery also offers meat-centric lunch specials.

olani Boulevard, features hot pot lunch specials from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays to Fridays.

The wagyu lover special ($32 per person) includes Australian chuck rib-eye (you can upgrade to A5 chuck rib-eye for $5 more), Australian brisket and shoulder, a vegetable platter, unlimited appetizers, and unlimited beverages, rice and ice cream from the restaurant’s self-serve bar.

Meanwhile, the Australian set with seafood ($39 per person) includes many of the same offerings, along with a seafood platter. The seafood platter is an individual portion and includes snow crab, scallop, abalone, oyster and shrimp.

’t as vast as what you would get in the AYCE dinner, but it’s still a good amount for lunch — and for less than $40.

Choose from a variety of soup broths to get your hot pot lunch started. Options include house broth, spicy miso, sukiyaki and tomato. Seasonal flavors might also be featured; a tom yum chicken broth is currently available.

Unlimited appetizers are included with the lunch special. Take your pick from hot and cold options, ranging from shrimp tempura, sweet potato fries and fried chicken bites to seaweed salad and spicy clam.

The vegetable platter that’s included with the lunch special is designed for one individual. It includes mushrooms, lettuce, carrots, tofu and more.

Be sure to check out the eatery’s self-serve bar, which includes a variety of sauces and condiments you can use to enhance your hot pot experience. Condiments range from ponzu and sesame sauces to green onions and garlic.

The self-serve bar also includes wagyu curry, which should not be overlooked, due to its umami flavor.

Lunch specials served 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays

Mikiya Honolu wagyu set 101525

<title>Budget Bites: Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House’s lunch specials</title>

The Kapiʻolani eatery is known for its all-you-can-eat wagyu shabu shabu dinner, but also features meaty lunch specials during weekdays only.

Budget Bites: Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House’s lunch specials

Kamapuaʻa, the wild and rebellious demigod, is usually found in Hawai‘i’s lush, rain-drenched forests and valleys. Part man and part pig, Kamapua‘a is a shape-shifter whose most common form is that of a large wild hog. His restless spirit drew the fury and disdain of Pele, the fiery goddess of the volcano, but he pursued her relentlessly.

With his boundless passion, the nature of the pig god’s affinity for cooling rains and verdant lands countered Pele’s tempestuous fire and her lava’s destructive creation. The relationship between the two was filled first with anger and violence and then with wild desire. Eventually, Kamapua‘a could never tame the goddess’ flames, and Pele could not cage the demigod.

In their final epic battle, the pair realized it was impossible to destroy one another. Kamapua‘a proposed a truce, and the pair agreed that Pele would remain on her side of the island where it is hot and arid, and Kamapua‘a would remain on his side, where it is cool and lush, and none shall trespass into the other’s domain. From this ancient feud comes the superstition of carrying pork from one side of the island to the other.

Locals on O‘ahu will be quick to tell you, “Don’t bring pork over the Pali!”

This is a warning that if you should bring pork from Kailua over the Nu‘uanu Pali, you are carrying the kinolau (the embodiment) of Kamapua‘a into Pele’s territory, angering her. Personal stories of car trouble, strange occurrences, and even ghostly encounters from people who had pork in their cars reinforced this belief, with the scary events only ceasing once the pork was removed.

The story of bringing pork over the Pali is just one layer of the complex and spiritual history surrounding this place. If you ask different people why the Pali is haunted, you’ll likely get several vastly different answers, and most of those answers might be true. This haunting, spiritually powerful place has a long and violent history. It’s not just one thing that haunts the Pali; it’s many. 

In 1947, ten years before the first Pali tunnel was completed, a group of young men and women had been discussing the supernatural and learned that, under certain conditions, “spooks” could be seen at the Nu‘uanu Pali. They initially took this information as a joke and decided to test the theory just after midnight. Upon the advice of their Hawaiian friends, they brought with them some raw pork and fish. The night was very dark, and there was no moon.

Just around midnight, they drove up to the lookout, parked their car facing the plaque dedicated to King Kamehameha I, and sat there in the dark, waiting for something to happen. After a short while, one woman alerted the group to a large figure that looked like a man sitting on the side of the hill with his arms locked over his knees.

The driver turned on the car’s headlights, and the figure moved. When the lights were turned off, it suddenly reappeared in a different place. Although the night was dark, the figure was clearly visible, and the group watched in horror as the ghostly man changed his shape to that of an animal. The group tossed the pork out of the car, and in that instant, the awful odor of death and decomposition enveloped them. 

Around 12:45 am, this group of young men and women entered the police station and excitedly shared their terrifying experience with the police lieutenant on the midnight watch. Although the story may have impressed the Lieutenant, his only comment to the newspaper was, “They threw away pork at $1 a pound!”

What or who did these five young adults encounter? Could the strange figure have been the demigod, Kamapua‘a? What is your experience in bringing pork over the Pali?

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Miscommunication

Kady Pascual

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Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Gotta catch ‘em all — at Ala Moana Center: voices from Pokémon GO’s “Wild Area: Global” event

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