HAWAIIAN WORD OF THE DAY
Ma’ema’e: Cleanliness, to clean
HAWAIIAN PROVERB OF THE DAY
“When one does not clean the side of the poi bowl properly, he is unlikely to wipe his behind clean after defecation.”

September 20, 1927: Rolls of toilet paper sell on Maui 3 for 25 cents, not a small amount of money in those days. (25 cents then would pay for enough meat for a meal for a family of four.) Toilet paper holds a special place in the domestic history of Maui, and Hawaii. Residents love their toilet paper. During the oil embargo of 1970’s, supplies to the state became scarce, and among the first to disappear off store shelves was, yes toilet paper.

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Aloha attire - the quintessential Hawaiian look. Some say it sprang from the early missionaries’ attempts to cover up the native population with western dress, but the famous Aloha Shirt was first made and marketed in Honolulu by merchant Mr. Ellery Chung to use an abundance of left-over kimono fabric. He went on to register the Aloha trade name in 1936 and create the term Aloha Shirt with a Honolulu Advertiser saleperson.

The rest, as they say, is history. The shirts quickly became an instantly recognizable symbol of the relaxed and colorful lifestyle in all the Hawaiian Islands, including Maui. Colorful, comfortable and cool, the aloha attire is found in the board rooms of business, in the halls of the state legislature, in five star restaurants and local bistros, as well as semi-formal events including weddings, birthday parties and funerals.  The aloha shirt is accepted, and expected, attire on Maui. Enjoy - it’s a wonderful thing!

Keep it aloha. Keep it colorful. Keep it Maui.

- Haole Anna, Paia