Gates to the Makapuu Lighthouse Trail parking lot will be open well before sunrise on Sunday. But if you rise early to commune with nature on the first morning of the new year, don’t expect to be alone.

While it seems counterintuitive to some of us that anyone would happily hike at 5:30 a.m., hundreds of people are making the annual First Day Hike along the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline a holiday tradition. First Day events are held in state parks nationwide to encourage people capable of early rising on New Year’s Day to exercise and enjoy the parks.

If you join the crowd, bring a flashlight for the 2-mile paved trail that rewards hikers — after the sun surfaces at 7:09 a.m. — with sweeping coastal views from Oahu’s southernmost tip. Also, there’s the possibility of spotting humpback whales that visit nearshore waters during the winter months.

A prosperous supply of fireworks and ahi

If you live Hawaii, you’re already in good luck. Still, many of us will be celebrating the possibility of a prosperous new year tonight with a taste of sashimi and a blast of fireworks.

While the holiday season’s fish supply is plentiful — some 110,000 pounds were for sale at the Honolulu Fish Auction at Pier 38 on Wednesday — if you’re heading out for a sashimi platter today, expect prices to range between $30 and $40 a pound.

And in many neighborhoods the whizzing booms started weeks ago. The Honolulu Fire Department has issued 17,151 fireworks permits, and each allows the holder to purchase up to 5,000 firecrackers that may be set off from 9 p.m. tonight to 1 a.m. Sunday. Along with our island traditions is the expectation that not everybody is going to wait until after dark — or even Dec. 31 — to usher in the new year.