On the hawaiian islands, the people all share something in common and we call this the "Aloha Spirit". Growing up in the islands, many of us were raised by our kapunas (grandparents) who made a point to teach us the value of the "Aloha Spirit"and so that it can be passed on to others as well as continue to live on here on the islands.

Just what is the aloha spirit? It can be described differently by many different people. However, the word ALOHA in Hawaiian means love, hello and goodbye. Therefore, most of the Hawaiians would agree that the true meaning of the "aloha spirit" means the spirit of love and is mostly expressed when saying hello and goodbye!

How do we express this Aloha Spirit when we greet others?   The most common way that this is expressed is by giving a flower lei and sealing your love with a kiss. Usually the most appropriate moment one would do this would be moments when you are meeting someone for the first time or when someone you know is going to leave you and will not be returning for a long time. Any other time that we are saying hello and goodbye might only be expressed by a kiss and sometimes blowing a kiss at times when you can reach the person directly that you want to express your love to.

Why use a lei to express our love? Because a lei that is given is supposed to have been made with a lot of love and careful thought in creating a lei. This is what is known as "Leialoha," which means lei of love. Each sweet smelling flower that is selected and picked to be used in a lei holds a lot of power of the person whose careful thought was put into it as he or she gathered them creating a mental image of where each would be placed to form the final creation known as their garland of love!

There are many other ways that one might express their aloha spirit and that would depend on the individual. It might be through dance, song, work or play. Sometimes even in the clothes they choose to wear. For example, In dancing the hula, a person may choose to do a style of hula dance known as Iwana to express their love since that style of hula dance is more modern and sophisticated. Through song, one might choose to sing a "mele" (song) that expresses their strength of love. In cooking, one might express their love through the careful thought of preparing a dish or sharing a recipe. Lastly one might express their aloha spirit in play through participating in games and events. In addition, another obvious way of expressing the aloha spirit can be done by the clothes one chooses to wear. Usually to express their love would be to dress in aloha attire as in a Mu'umu'u (long floral print dress) for women and a floral shirt for men.

However one chooses to express their love their is still one important message that we should always remember. On the islands everything is touched by the aloha spirit. The land is constantly being touched by love from the people of the island and in turn, this love rubs back onto the people. When we "Malama ka 'aina" (take care of the island), the land takes care of us and this spirit is then passed on to those that visit the islands.