My husband Rob and I have enjoyed going to Hawaii for the past three years over my school’s fall break. Planning and saving your money carefully will let you do some really exciting things! Hawaii has a culture and landscape that is quite different from what you would find in Indiana. Bright blue oceans surround this big island that is covered in lush green foliage, with bright flowers every which way you look. Polynesian explorers founded Hawaii over 1500 years ago, so the culture is heavily influenced by Polynesia.

Each year we like to attend a luau, which is a traditional Hawaiian feast followed by many different types of dances and entertainment. The big event of the luau is roasting the Kalua pig. A deep pit is dug called an imu, and this acts as a type of underground oven. The pit is filled with rocks and a fire is built early in the morning. The rocks heat up over several hours. The imu is lined with banana leaves and then the pig is filled with some of the hot rocks. Next the pig is wrapped in banana leaves and covered with a cloth and a layer of dirt.

After covering the pig in a mound of dirt, a heat vent is left on top of the imu with a banana leaf stuck in the top. The pig cooks all day and is then removed in a grand ceremony by two men dressed in traditional Hawaiian clothes. The pig is then prepared to eat and everyone enjoys the succulent meat.

The food at the luau includes the delicious roast pig, several kinds of fish, chicken, pineapple, coconut dishes, and poi. It’s more than any one person could ever hope to eat. The elaborate meal is followed by many Polynesian dances, songs, and ends with an impressive fire dance.

Hawaiians originally called their feast an ‘aha’aina or gathering meal which were for special occasions.  Many of the food served had special meaning or were only eaten by royalty, such as pork or bananas. Men and women didn’t eat together, however; King Kamehameha II ended these customs in 1819 and ate with women.  That is about the time that the term luau started being used instead of ‘aha’aina. In Hawaiian, luau is really the  name of a spinach-like leaf called the taro leaf.  Poi, which is a traditional Hawaiian food, is made from this plant.

I highly recommend attending a luau if you get a chance to visit Hawaii!  It is a memorable experience and will give you a good look into Hawaiian culture!