The Royal Order of Kamehameha leads the royal societies in the solemn march to honor King Kamehameha the Great on his birthday of June 11 (on whatever day of the week it falls) in Kahului. Kamehameha was the monarch who unified the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom in 1810 after years of conflicts.
We walk in single file one-mile down Ka’ahumanu Avenue from the University of Hawaii Maui College to Hoaloha Park following Hawaiian protocol. The police cone off the car lane nearest the sidewalk so we can walk safely down the major street in Kahului and cross a major intersection along the way. After the march, the Royal Order hosts a paina (social gathering with food) at their clubhouse at Hala Nanea. My Uncle Clifford started this event back in 2000 when he was head chief of the Maui Chapter of the Royal Order and the tradition continues today.
Kamehameha Day on June 11 is one of two official state holidays (the other being Kuhio Day) to recognize Hawaiian royalty. The first Kamehameha Day was celebrated on June 11, 1872, by Kamehameha V to honor his grandfather.
(Photo taken during closing protocols after the Kamehameha Day March when the royal societies and community participants gather in a circle led by the Royal Order of Kamehameha. My Uncle Clifford who started the event is second from the left, Kahului, 2018.)
