Aloha kākou! Hoping your Piko o Wākea celebrations went well and that the transition out of the season of Kū into the season of Lono has begun.
Speaking of transitions, in the old days this would have been the time when the fishing kuʻula, kuʻuna (Maui term), and papa uhe would have been closed in preparation for the Makahiki celebrations.
What is a papa uhe you ask? A papa uhe is an offering platform where fisherman, specifically ʻōpelu fishermen, offered their first catch (Fornander, 1919). Uhe is also the name of the ritual when offering the fish.
The primary source states that only the kāhuna make the offerings on the kuahu (ibid). The last offering would be made on the pō mahina of Kūkahi right after Piko o Wākea in the fall to close out all Kū practices and to prepare for the anticipated kuapola ceremonies.
You might be asking, what is the kuapola? Suffice it to say that the kuapola ceremonies were the original opening of the Makahiki season that were performed in Kona. The timing was as it is mentioned in the Kumulipo.
When the sun sets, the Hua moon rises, followed by the evening appearance of Makaliʻi in the east. This line up of celestial occurrences happens every year shortly after the Piko o Wākea on the Hawaiian malama of ʻIkuā and then again in the malama of Welehu.
So, when do the first and second kuapola happen this year? The first kuapola is scheduled to happen on October 4. The second kuapola will happen on November 3. For those who calculate the kaulana mahina, there is a 13th lunar month occurring this year between Makaliʻi (December) and Kāʻelo (January) called Hikikauʻelia. Please make your adjustments accordingly.
I bid you all a heartfelt Hawaiian Holiday Season and iā Lonoikamakahiki hoʻi!
