A Happy Hawaiian Fourth of July
(Photo by Carolyn Lee. The creature in the lower righthand corner is a gecko.) My mother was reminiscing about Fourth of July festivities in her childhood, in 1930s Hawai'i. Her family lived in a rural area of the Big Island, Ola'a, now called Kea'au. Families would drive to Hilo's Mooheau Park for a day of food, music and fun. At the park, watermelon, many kinds of ono kaukau (Hawaiian for delicious food), and dancers of various ethnic groups were on hand. Children got new shoes to wear for the holiday. Mom remembers large numbers of children sitting at curbside, resting their feet, aching from the new footwear. Happy Fourth of July!