Haleakalā National Park and four national parks on Hawai'i Island will simultaneously commemorate the first national holiday in Hawai'i, Lā Hae Hawai'i (Hawaiian Flag Day) on Thursday, July 31. The event itself is free, but entrance fees apply at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, and Haleakalā National Park.
Hawai'i celebrated its first national holiday on July 31, 1843, when the Kingdom of Hawai'i was restored by Great Britain. At that time, King Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, proclaimed, "Ua mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono" ("the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"). That famous proclamation became Hawaii's state motto.
On July 26, 1990, Governor John Waihe'e signed a proclamation making every July 31 Hawaiian Flag Day and urged Hawai'i citizens "to observe due respect for the flag and the proud tradition for which it stands."
The Hawaiian Flag Day schedule at Haleakalā is as follows:
10 a.m.: Short presentations and Q&A by guest speaker Kalani Pea about the history of Lā Hae Hawai'i.
Noon: Honoring the Hawaiian flag.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
