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#Mahina
Mahina St.
We all make use of our islands’ roadways, but when was the last time you paid attention to the given names?
Do you know the meaning of the street you live on?
Our weekly “Aloha Authentic” segment highlights various roadways around the islands so we can dig into the given name and as a result, learn more about Hawaiʻi’s history.
This week, we bring focus to a street that invites us to look up into the sky.
In the ahupuaʻa of Kēōkea, which lies in the moku of Kula on the island of Maui, stands a street named after the object that dictates the Hawaiian calendar.
We are talking about Mahina St.
In Hawaiian language, the word mahina can be translated as “moon or month.”
To Native Hawaiians, their calendar is based on the appearance of the moon rather than the motion of the planet around the sun.
The Hawaiian moon calendar consists of 12 lunar months with each month made up of 29½ days.
The approximately 30-day-month is broken into 3, 10-day periods called Anahulu.
In essence, a Hawaiian week.
The first anahulu is called Hoʻonui which means “to enlarge.”
This period identifies the moonʻs initial waxing phases.
The second anahulu is called Poepoe meaning round, signaling its rounded phases, including the full moon.
And the last anahulu is called Hōʻemi, which means “to diminish,” referring to the moon’s waning phases.
Aside from measuring time, the moon also serves as an almanac for farmers, a tide chart for fishermen, and a spiritual guide for priests.
Did you know? Now you do!
hawaiian moon calendar 2022
We all make use of our islands’ roadways, but when was the last time you paid attention to the given names?
Do you know the meaning of the street you live on?
Our weekly “Aloha Authentic” segment highlights various roadways around the islands so we can dig into the given name and as a result, learn more about Hawaiʻi’s history.
This week, we bring focus to a street that invites us to look up into the sky.
In the ahupuaʻa of Kēōkea, which lies in the moku of Kula on the island of Maui, stands a street named after the object that dictates the Hawaiian calendar.
We are talking about Mahina St.
In Hawaiian language, the word mahina can be translated as “moon or month.”
To Native Hawaiians, their calendar is based on the appearance of the moon rather than the motion of the planet around the sun.
The Hawaiian moon calendar consists of 12 lunar months with each month made up of 29½ days.
The approximately 30-day-month is broken into 3, 10-day periods called Anahulu.
In essence, a Hawaiian week.
The first anahulu is called Hoʻonui which means “to enlarge.”
This period identifies the moonʻs initial waxing phases.
The second anahulu is called Poepoe meaning round, signaling its rounded phases, including the full moon.
And the last anahulu is called Hōʻemi, which means “to diminish,” referring to the moon’s waning phases.
Aside from measuring time, the moon also serves as an almanac for farmers, a tide chart for fishermen, and a spiritual guide for priests.
Did you know? Now you do!