‘Season of warmth’ begins in Hawaii

As the sun sets tonight behind Pu‘u o Kapolei, viewable from outside the Waikiki Aquarium, in Honolulu, Hawaii, people will gather for an event of hula, chanting and storytelling. Around May 2, they say, the sun sets into the crown of the hill instead of its usual spot into the sea.

“You can see why they traditionally celebrated from this spot,” said Waikiki Aquarium’s Mary Roney. “Because it looks like the sun sets straight into the crater.”

This celebration and sunset observance marks the start of kau, or the season of warmth. Roney is optimistic that this evening’s skies will be clear enough to witness the natural scene.

According to the Western Regional Climate Center website, native Hawaiians recognized two main seasons: kau, from May through October, and hoo-ilo, from November through April. The former is agriculturally fruitful, warm and with reliable winds; the latter is cooler with more unpredictable winds. That’s the gist, though you’ll get some variations and far more detail in modern reports (including those by the aforementioned climate center).

What does all this mean to you if you’re planning to head to the islands this month? Hot and humid, with plenty of sun, some clouds, some rain.

By the way, in case you missed it, another marker of the turning of seasons is Lei Day. Always on May 1, it was widely celebrated Thursday and will continue to inspire festivities on all of the islands through the weekend.

Aquarium event info: Seasons and the Sea; today from 6 to 8 p.m. at Waikiki Aquarium, (808) 440-9007

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: Sun setting (into the sea) at Waikiki Beach; Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 12:57 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under Festival, Hawaii, Islands & Beaches, Oahu, Summer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.