Hawaiian Word of the Week: Ho'ihi

Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Its pristine landscape gives us instant relaxation, even just looking at pictures of Hawaii. When we are in Hawaii, we feel the magnitude of the tradition and the aloha on the island. Much of that stems from the “ho’ihi” (pronounced: ho-ee-hee), or respect, given to the island and to each other. 

Ho’ihi is core to Hawaii…and something we should be following in our day-to-day lives. When we are in Hawaii, the land we stand on is hundreds of thousands of years old*. It has endured weather, war, and greater populations. It has nourished and fed generations of people. It commands respect when we visit…to keep the Hawaii we love in tact. 

We feel ho’ihi from the Hawaiian community with the aloha that is shown to us when we visit. We must remember that as visitors we need to show our ho’ihi in return as well….to show our gratitude for the welcome we receive.

How do you show your ho’ihi to the land and to others?

Never miss a Hawaiian word/phrase of the week when you sign up for our newsletter. Looking to keep the aloha vibes going all year long? We got you covered.