Prince Kūhiō Day is a state holiday observed in Hawai‘i every year on the annivesary of his birth, March 26, 1871. The day honors the life of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole and his many accomplishments in service of his people and the Hawaiian Islands.
Sunday, March 26, 2023 is Prince Kūhiō Day. Because it falls on a weekend in 2022, the holiday is observed on the nearest weekday or March 27, 2023.
Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole as a young adult circa 1891 – cropped (public domain)
About Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole Pi‘ikoi
Born into Hawaiian royalty, his mother was the youngest daughter of the last King of Kauaʻi. The last prince of Hawai’I, he is named for his paternal grandfather Jonah Pi‘ikoi and maternal grandfather Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole. After his parents died, he was hanai (cultural adoption) by his aunt, Queen Kapi‘olani.
Educated at Hawaiian, California, and English colleges, the young Kūhiō also competed in several sports, including Hawaiian martial arts (“Lua”), as well as became a skilled horseman and marksman. In 1884, King David Kalākaua declared Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole a royal prince who would have succeeded Queen Lili‘uokalani.
When the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown in 1893, Prince Kūhiō joined the revolutionaries. Ultimately, he was charged with treason and imprisoned. After Queen Lili‘uokalani abdicated the throne, the prince was pardoned. He then married married Chiefess Elizabeth Kahanu Ka‘auwai and the pair left Hawaiʻi on a self-imposed exile, traveling through Europe and Africa.
In 1901, Prince Kūhiō returned to Hawaiʻi and served as a non-voting delegate from Hawai‘i to the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the only royal to have served in Congress, in the 58th through 67th Congresses from 1902-1922. He laid the foundation for Hawai‘i’s modern government structure and the county system still in place today. Finally, he sponsored the first bill for Hawai‘i‘s statehood in 1919 and advocated for the passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in 1921.
Prince Kūhiō’s accomplishments include securing funds for upgrading the Hilo wharf, as well as the construction of Pearl Harbor, Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse, and a hospital at the Kalaupapa Settlement on Molokaʻi. He also established Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. In 1903, he re-established the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, founded by Kamehameha V in 1865 to promote and defend the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.
To perpetuate Hawaiian lāhui (people) and promote Hawaiian culture, he formed a civic club in 1918. Today, the Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club boasts over 50 distinct organizations across the Hawaiian Islands and the continental United States.
Known as “The Citizen Prince”, “the Peopleʻs Prince”, and a renaissance man, Prince Kūhiō passed away at his home in Waikīkī in 1922. He was given the last State funeral held in Hawai‘i for an Ali‘I and buried at Mauna ‘Ala, the Royal Mausoleum in Nu‘uanu. He is remembered throughout Hawaiʻi by many street names, beachs, buildings, and schools bearing his name.
More info: https://dhhl.hawaii.gov/kuhio/
What’s closed and open on Prince Kūhiō Day 2023
Garbage collection:
- County of Hawai‘i does not provide curbside collection. Recycling and Land Fill locations are closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, or designated emergencies such as natural disasters.
- Kauai Solid Waste Division collects five days a week including holidays.
- Maui, Lanai, Molokai: follow the Residential-Refuse-Pick-up-Holiday-Schedule (mauicounty.gov)
- County of Honolulu Curbside Collection/Schedules (opala.hnl.info) is normal on all holidays except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (then it is one day later). More info: ʻŌpala, i.e. garbage (honolulu.gov)
Public Transportation:
- Hawai’i Island Hele-On Bus operates on a Holiday Schedule for federal and state holidays.
- Kauaʻi Bus operates daily, including most holidays. See Kauai Bus Schedules or use free TheKauaiBus app for real-time updates.
- Maui Bus operates 7 days a week, including holidays. See Maui Web Bus Schedule or use the Live App.
- Oʻahu TheBus will operate on Holiday schedule for Martin Luther King Jr Day, January 16, 2023. See TheBus – Routes & Timetables
Scroll down for our Calendar of events for Prince Kūhiō Day weekend.
2023 Federal Holiday Dates
Listed below are the 11 Federal Holidays for 2023 (opm.gov)
- *Monday, January 2: New Year’s Day – observed (January 1)
- Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (3rd Monday in January)
- **Monday, February 20: Presidents’ Day aka Washington’s Birthday (3rd Monday in February)
- Monday, May 29: Memorial Day (4th Monday in May)
- Monday, June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
- Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day
- Monday, September 4: Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
- ***Monday, October 9: Discoverers’ Day aka Columbus Day (2nd Monday in October)
- *Friday, November 10: Veteran’s Day – observed (November 11)
- Thursday, November 23: Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday)
- Monday, December 25: Christmas Day
*When federal holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, they are observed on Friday or Monday, respectively.
**Washington’s Birthday is the federally recognized holiday though many locations use Presidents’ Day
***Columbus Day is still the federally recognized holiday though many states have adopted other names
2023 Hawaii State Holidays
Hawaiʻi State Government offices and facilities observe the following state holidays. Public schools are closed on Prince Kūhiō Day and Good Friday (they are not in session during summer). Federal offices are open. Retailers and the community have special celebrations.
- *Monday, March 27: Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole Day – observed (26th of March)
- Friday, April 7: Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday)
- *Monday, June 12: King Kamehameha I Day – observed (11th day of June)
- Friday, August 18: Statehood Day (3rd Friday in August)
*When state holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, they are observed on Friday or Monday, respectively.
More info: https://dhrd.hawaii.gov/state-observed-holidays/
2023 Other Holidays & Special Events
- Sunday, January 22, 2023: Lunar New Year – Year of the Rabbit (or Cat for Vietnamese Tet)
- Monday, February 2: Groundhog Day – six more weeks of winter if sunny or an early spring if cloudy
- Sunday, February 12, 2023: Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ
- Tuesday, February 14: Valentine’s Day
- Tuesday, February 21: Mardi Gras
- Tuesday, March 7: Holi (Festival of Colors)
- Sunday, March 12: Daylight Savings time begins (2nd Sunday)
- Friday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
- Monday, March 20: Spring equinox
- Thursday, March 23: Ramadan begins (ends Saturday, April 22 with Eid al-Fitr)
- Wednesday, April 5: Passover begins at sundown
- Sunday, April 9: Easter Sunday
- Monday, April 17: Federal Income Tax Day
- Monday, May 1: Lei Day
- Friday, May 5: Cinco de Mayo
- Sunday, May 14: Mother’s Day (2nd Sunday in May)
- Wednesday, June 21: Summer solstice
- Sunday, June 18: Father’s Day (3rd Sunday in June)
- Friday, September 22: Autumn equinox
- Tuesday, October 31: Halloween
- Wednesday, November 1: Day of the Dead
- Sunday, November 5: Daylight Savings ends (1st Sunday)
- Friday, November 24: Black Friday aka Native American Heritage Day (day after Thanksgiving)
- Friday, December 7: Chanukah (Hanukkah) begins at sundown
- Thursday, December 21: Winter solstice
- Sunday, December 24: Christmas
- Tuesday, December 26: First day of Kwanzaa
- Sunday, December 31: New Year’s Eve
Event calendar for Prince Kūhiō Day weekend
Listed below are events on our calendar for the weekend including Prince Kūhiō Day.
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Prince Kūhiō’s Birthday (March 26)
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Prince Kūhiō Day (observed)
Monday, March 27, 2023
For more things to do anytime, see our calendar of free and cheap things to do every day (hawaiionthecheap.com)
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