Culture and Traditions
by Joni Kamiya, Hawaii Farmer’s Daughter, January 5, 2025
Following the horrific New Year’s fireworks accident, I noticed that the leadership in Hawaii has been misusing the very terms that is being used to defend illegal aerials Those guilty of using them are justifying their actions under the guise of “culture” and “traditions.” Trying to claim that is far, far from the truth.
As one who is of Okinawan, Chinese, and Japanese descent, we had an array of traditions followed each year. My grandparents taught us the importance of these practices for New Years.
It was customary that we’d go to Cultural Plaza each year with my grandfather. We’d park in the stinky lot and have our usual Chinese meal at Empress Restaurant then go down by the courtyard to watch the dragon and lion dances. The noise of the drums would terrify me as a kid.
Following the lion dances, we would have the red firecrackers burned to help ward off the evil spirits. This would start off with a line of popping followed by a big mass burnout at the end. Anytime this started, we were cleared away from the area before it was started. No one except for the fuse lighter was allowed to be close and he’d run right after setting it off.
Another Hawaii tradition of NY was mochi pounding where we’d take out a very old utsu, aka mochi pounding stone, to make a tradition dish eaten every new year. It took the entire family to prepare for this event where we’d prep the stone, rice, and kin (mochi pounding mallets). There was a coordinated effort to safely pound the rice grains to stick together followed by the pulling of it apart into individual pieces. At the end, everyone took part in the tradition and had a plate of mochi to enjoy after.
When I look at our cultural practices and traditions, I see a theme of community involvement where people can come together to safely celebrate another year. These efforts took a lot of care and consideration to put on so many can participate in to carry on to future generations. We were conscientious about our fellow neighbors when these events took place.
Fast forward to the present day where we have people trying to culturally appropriate customs to justify their inconsiderate and dangerous behaviors with leaders having to be “sensitive” when discussing it on the media is absolutely absurd to me.
Let’s call a spade a spade here. Make no mistake that my ancestors would have never seen the actions of illegal aerials as a “tradition” or “cultural practices.” The fact that there are thousands of people feeling justified in hijacking the cultural practice with illegal aerials is utter disrespect for what it meant to my ancestors.
No one in their right mind would set off a firework that can reach 2000 degrees and potential kill or maim life in a dense neighborhood where kids and kupuna reside. Nor would a decent citizen even think about blowing their fireworks at all times of night and day either to wake up neighbors or scare animals who are getting lost and hit by cars.
To anyone justifying this behavior let alone participating in it makes me question if you truly live with Hawaiian values of mālama pono (to care) or with aloha in your heart. To the leaders of our state, you have taken an oath to set the examole to serve our communities and right now, we need more than words but actual actions.
We all have a duty to each other and let’s take it to heart in action and in word in 2025.
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Jan 1, 2025: New Year Tragedy – HawaiiFarmersDaughter