1. East 

2. (Cap.) Orient.

3. Coming, advent.

School is starting all around us. Excitement is in the air. It’s definitely a time of new beginnings for students and teachers. The new school year always reminds me of a new start: new clothes for the kids, school supplies, and schedule adjustments. Craziness is about to commence.

Today’s He Momi, hikina, reflects a new beginning. The East. To Hawaiians, the East is where the sun rises and, therefore, it holds the hope of a new day, a new beginning. The East is where the sun’s rays first shine, and as such it is symbolic of enlightenment. No matter what happens today, know that tomorrow is a new day, new knowledge, new enlightenment, a chance to make it a better day than today. That is what hikina represents.

Hikina is also a form of the word hiki – to arrive. Literally, the arrival.   East is good. New beginnings. New arrivals. Enlightenment. Look to the East each morning for the arrival of the sun and enjoy those early rays.

E ala ē, ka lā i ka hikina – Awaken, O Sun, in the East

E kanu i ka huli ma ka hikina – Plant the huli in the East.

Mai ka hikina a ka lā i Kumukahi a i ka welona i Lehua, aloha mai kākou – From the arrival of the sun in Kumukahi (Hawaiʻi’s eastern most point) to its setting in Lehua, greetings to all. (a formal way to greet a group of people.)

Copyright: 2015 – Liana Iaea Honda. All rights reserved. All versions of He Momi e Lei ai”, in its entirety, past and present, is the property of L. K. I. Honda. Reproduction and use of any kind other than the sharing of this website is prohibited. Alteration to the original content in any form is prohibited in every and any instance, and use in any other variant is prohibited without written consent of the author. Adress inquiries to: hemomi [at] gmail.com. Definitions and wise sayings are from: Hawaiian Dictionary by Pukui and Elbert, 1986. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau – Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983.