Makahiki is just around the corner! On November 17, 2009, the traditional Hawaiian new year begins with the rise of Makali‘i, or the Pleiades, in our skies. With it comes Ho‘oilo, the wet, rainy season, when the deity Lono returns again to dwell in Hawai‘i for four months. This season, we’re taking Makahiki as a time to return to nature, reflect and express our gratitude for what we have received , and gather with friends and family in order to give Makahiki the just place it deserves in our lives.

As Makahiki approaches, keep track of the Hawaiian lunar calendar with the new Ke Ala O Ka Mahina 2010 Moon Calendar published by Kamehameha Publishing and Hui Maoli Ola. (Guess where we got the exact date for Makahiki?) We’re especially fond of the online calendar application, where you can see the current pō (literally “night”), or traditional lunar day, and sense how our ancestors perceived the flow of time.