The department that needed the most attention
Culture & History had sat at just two guides — history and etiquette — through every update so far, even as Plan and Do grew into ten guides each. That imbalance is fixed this week: four new guides bring Culture to six.
- Hula, explained — kahiko vs. ʻauana, the Merrie Monarch Festival, and how to watch respectfully as a visitor.
- Lei traditions — what a lei actually represents, correct etiquette for receiving one, and what different materials signify.
- Pele & Hawaiian mythology — approached as the living spiritual tradition it is for many Native Hawaiians, not folklore.
- Holidays & festivals — King Kamehameha Day, Prince Kūhiʻō Day, Lei Day and more, what's actually being celebrated and when.
Also new: the other two islands
The Islands hub always described "six islands," accurately, since those are the only ones a visitor can actually go to — but Hawaiʻi has eight main islands total. Our new Niʻihau & Kahoʻolawe page explains why the other two aren't part of any typical itinerary: one is a private, deliberately closed community protecting a traditional way of life, the other is land still being ecologically restored after decades as a military bombing range.
What's next
A Hawaiian place-names guide, a traditional crafts guide, and a Kauaʻi sample itinerary are next on the board.