Saturday, September 26: Dawn was breaking over the island of Oahu, the birds were waking up to sing, the faint scent of plumeria was in the air, and the colors were seeping back into the world after a starry night. I was staring at a replica of a mini volcano on wheels, festooned with flowers. “What is it,” I asked. The answer? A pooper scooper receptacle, but of course.
Today was an important one for Oahu, as it was the day of the Aloha Festival’s Floral Parade, which had a heavy equestrian component. Float preparations had been taking place all night long, and dawn signaled that it was time to start dressing the horses and pā’ū riders in traditional costumes and flowers. Each of Hawaii’s eight main islands had its own contingency, colors, and floral designs. In a few hours, the parade would begin along Kalākaua Avenue in Waikiki, but now, in the early morning light, the riders were being dressed according to the old traditions, and a sense of reverence ruled the daybreak calm.
Below are some of the photos I took as the parade participants were getting ready. The costumes that some of these women had to wear were incredibly involved and beautiful, yet cumbersome, and involved an elaborate wrapping process that went on until the sun climbed high in the sky. No detail was overlooked, and the craftsmanship was absolutely stunning. A true showcase of Hawaii, and its aloha spirit. Enjoy!
Comments
Sep 29, 2009
Wow, this looks incredible! How lucky you were to be able to see it. I wonder how long it took for those women to get ready? If I got to wear a costume like that, I'd probably never take it off!
Sep 29, 2009
Fabulous pictures. What a special glimpse of the Aloha spirit.
Sep 29, 2009
The flowers and clothing are all so vivid! But my brain has a little trouble pairing horses with Hawaii. Interesting to see them against such a tropical backdrop.
Sep 29, 2009
Beautiful photos, Rachel! And beautiful writing, too! I love the last photo especially for its colors and textures and because it captures so much of Hawaii in one small frame. Was the staging area for the parade near the Honolulu Zoo? From the backgrounds I'm guessing it may have been there.
About Kate's comment about horses not being associated with Hawaii: on Maui there is an annual rodeo in the town of Makawao, and on Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii toward the higher elevations (and on some of the most beautiful land in the world) there have historically been large ranches with horses and cattle. Parker Ranch on Hawaii, and Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui are examples. The Hawaiian word for cowboy is paneolo.
Sep 30, 2009
Thanks for the nice comments, all.
Nothing But Bonfires, it literally took hours for the women to get ready. Each had a team of handlers who helped wrap her up in the garments. And once they were all dressed they had to stay that way on horseback for the duration of the parade, which meant hours more in the hot sun before they could disrobe. Despite the difficult conditions, they handled themselves with such grace.
Michael, good guess, but it was actually the Ala Moana Park, not Hawaii Zoo where the staging took place. And you're right about the horses--the ranches are historic and have their own flavor of Hawaii cowboy spirit. Definitely worth a visit.
Oct 01, 2009
awesome Pictures, simply beautiful!!
Oct 01, 2009
Such great pictures, Rachel! Wonderful job capturing such a beautiful cultural experience.
Feb 05, 2010
Looks like it was a beautiful parade. Reminds me of my honeymoon in Tahiti!