Ka Lā Ho’omaika’i (i ka puni kālā)

Synopsis: Is Thanksgiving going to become obsolete?

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu, ua hala aku nei ka Lā ‘Ai Pelehū, ka Lā Ho’omaika’i ho’i, a aia nō paha kahi ‘i’o pelehū a me kekahi koena paha e waiho akula ma ka pahu hau. Ua hana ‘ia aku nei paha ke kupa laiki kūpū me ka pelehū a pēlā pū nō me ka ‘ōpā palaoa pelehū.

‘O ka Lā Ho’omaika’i, ua ho’okumu ‘ia e ka po’e ho’okolonaio, akā, he lā ia e ho’omaika’i ai no kou mau pōmaika’i i loa’a mai, a ua lilo ia lā i lā e nanea pū ai me ka ‘ohana a me nā hoa aloha. Akā, ‘o ka Lā Ho’omaika’i, ‘o ia kekahi o nā lā nui puni kālā, ka lā ho’i e māhuahua ai ke kālā o nā hale kū’ai like ‘ole a puni ka honua.

I nā makahiki i hala aku nei, ‘o ka Pō’alima ma hope o ka Lā Ho’omaika’i, he lā ia e hemo ai nā puka o nā hale kū’ai a he nui nā kū’ai emi. Kapa ‘ia aku ua Pō’alima nei, ‘o ia ka Pō’alima ‘Ele’ele, ‘oiai, ‘o ia ka lā makepono, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘oi aku ka huina loa’a o nā hale kū’ai ma mua o ke kālā i ho’olilo ‘ia, a no laila, he lā ia no nā hale kū’ai e hau’oli ai.

‘O ka mea ma’a mau, kū laina nā kānaka like ‘ole mai ke nui a ka li’ili’i e kali ana ‘o ka loa’a o kahi mea a mau mea paha ma ke kumukū’ai emi loa. ‘O kekahi mau kānaka, e lele aku nō i ka laina he mau lā ma mua o ia Pō’alima ‘Ele’ele i mea e pa’a ai kahi makana kūpono me ke kūpihipihi ‘ole o kahi koena ‘opihi.

‘Akahi nō a ho’omaka kekahi hale kū’ai e hemo i ka Lā Ho’omaika’i i kekahi mau makahiki i hala iho nei. A i kēia makahiki nei, ka makahiki 2014, ua māhuahua a’ela nā hale kū’ai e hāmama ana kona mau puka i ka Lā Ho’omaika’i. Ua nui nō nā hale kū’ai ma O’ahu nei i hana pēlā, ‘o Wal-mart, ‘o Best Buy, ‘o Kmart, ‘o Target, ‘o Toys “R” Us, ‘o Macy’s, ‘o Sports Authority a me ia hale kū’ai aku, ia hale kū’ai aku.

A ‘o kekahi mau kānaka, ua ha’alele i ka hale, a i ka poli pumehana paha o ke aloha, a hele akula e kū laina a e kū’ai hele paha ma kahi ko’eko’e o ka pō (a o ke ao nō ho’i paha, ‘oiai, ua hemo kekahi mau hale kū’ai i ke kakahiaka o ka Lā Ho’omaika’i) me ka lana o ka mana’o e lilo mai ana kekahi mau makana ma ke kumukū’ai makepono. He hana akamai nō paha ia, ‘oiai, ‘o ka mea ma’a mau i kēia mau lā, he kūpihipihi loa nō kahi koena ‘opihi, ‘a’ole nō nui loa.

Pehea, e lilo ana ia lā e nanea pū ai me ka ‘ohana ma ka hale i mea ‘ole? I lā wale nō paha e kū’ai hele aku ai? ‘A’ole paha, no ka mea, he nui a lehulehu nā kānaka e hō’ike a’e nei i ko lākou kū’ē ‘ana i kēia lilo ‘ana o ka Lā Ho’omaika’i ‘o ia ka “Pō’ahā ‘Ele’ele.” A ke hō’ākoakoa nei nō lākou i nā kānaka o ka mana’o like e huliāmahi ma ke noi ‘ana aku i nā hale kū’ai a me ka po’e kū’ai hele i ka mālama ‘ana i ka Lā Ho’omaika’i i lā ho’onanea me ka ‘ohana ma o ke pani ‘ia ‘ana iho o nā hale kū’ai ma ia lā.

E ‘oi aku paha ka maika’i o ka ho’omaika’i ‘ana no nā pōmaika’i i loa’a iā kākou i kēlā me kēia lā, a e ho’onui i ka manawa e ho’onanea ai me ka ‘ohana a me nā hoa aloha.

Mai kali a hiki mai kahi lā ho’okahi e hō’ike ai i ke aloha a me ka mahalo i ka ‘ohana. E hana pēlā i nā manawa a pau.

———

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ”o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu

>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.