Aloha means many things. To name a few, Aloha is the name of a Hawaiian cruise ship and an inter-island airline, the type of clothing (Aloha shirts and mu'u mu'u) worn worn by locals on Aloha Friday (every Friday :-), something fun to say in unison at a Hawaiian luau, and a greeting or farewell. However, "aloha" has a much deeper meaning.
E komo mai, welcome, to Coconut Roads' "Aloha Page." I hope you enjoy reading about the State of Hawaii's "Aloha Spirit Law," as well as some of the meanings of the Hawaiian Language's most famous word. Also, get the scoop on sending away for your "Live Aloha" bumper sticker.
The Aloha Project defines this beautiful word as such:
"Aloha is a Hawaiian word meaning love, friendship, compassion, and charity, as well as, in its roots, the joyful sharing of loving energy in the present moment. For this reason the Hawaiians also use the same word for greetings and farewells. In Queen Liliokalani's "Aloha Oe," the farewell was sad, but full of love.
The Aloha Project was conceived by "Urban Shaman" author Serge Kahili King in 1973 as a way to join the people of the world together in a spirit of Aloha to bring about physical, emotional, mental, environmental, social, and spiritual harmony based on the wisdom found in Hawaiian philosophy and culture.
In Hawaii, you can find the Aloha Spirit Law in the Hawai`i Revised Statutes, section 5-7.5!
Excerpt from [§5-7.5] The Aloha Spirit.
"(a) The Aloha Spirit is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the Self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the life force, Aloha, the following unuhi laulâ loa (free translation) may be used:
Akahai, meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness;
Lôkahi, meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;
`Olu`olu, meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness; Ha`aha`a, meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty; Ahonui, meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.
These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii."
To read more of the Aloha Spirit Law and learn more about the meanings of aloha, and the many beautiful phrases that include this word, visit my Hawaiian Language page.
For your free, no strings attached, "Live Aloha" bumper sticker, surf to the Aloha Website where you'll find the mailing address and some nice articles on Aloha.
Check out our article on
To learn about Aloha first hand, visit Hawaii :-)
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