Aloha Friday

Aloha Friday

We thought it would be a great idea to introduce the “Aloha Friday” concept to all of you. In Hawaii there are certain cultural rituals that we do on a regular basis that have been in existence since the beginning of time. For the rest of the world, they call it “Happy Hour.” As for us, we call it “Pau Hana,” which literally means “no work.” Pau: finish, Hana: work. Here it’s normal for us to have a few beers after work and “talk stories,” which basically means to shoot the shit, with the people we spent the entire day working alongside, to celebrate our effort together. 

Usually, we would sit in the parking lot drinking beers and playing or listening to Iz or Ka'au Crater Boys to de-stress before we would go home to our families.  Pau Hana eventually evolved into “Aloha Friday,” as the rest of the world knows it today.

Aloha Friday dates back to the early 60s. 

A professional manufacturing association known as the Hawaiian Fashion Guild began to promote aloha shirts in the workplace, as business attire. Since the influence of Western Corp culture came to our Island, we were required to wear button down shirts as an acceptable work getup. The Guild gave two aloha shirts to every member of our Hawaii House of Representatives and to the Senate. Then a resolution was passed, recommending that aloha attire be worn during the summer. Aloha Friday was born. In 1965, a campaign lobbying for “Aloha Friday” would encourage employers to allow men to wear aloha shirts on Fridays. By 1970, aloha-wear had gained acceptance in Hawaii as business attire for any day of the week. This was mostly done by Californian surfers.Hawaii’s custom of Aloha Friday slowly spread east to California, continuing around the globe until the 1990s, when it became known as Casual Friday.

Today in Hawaii, aloha-wear is worn as business attire for any day of the week, and “Aloha Friday” is generally used to refer to the last day of the work week.

Kimo and Paul (musicians) used “Aloha Friday” in their 1982 song, “It’s Aloha Friday, No Work ’til Monday,” which is still heard every Friday on KCCN 100.3 radio stations across the state. When I Think of Aloha Friday, it means we get to go home and be with our families and enjoy the weekend doing what we love: surfing, fishing, rolling, bbqing...

Our family at Kekoa Collective believed it would be great if we could start sharing our thoughts and experiences of the week in the hopes of sending you a smile, a virtual “Pau Hana” cocktail to all of you before you enter your weekend...a word of encouragement and inspiration, especially during this time. All of us need a lift, a hug, a smile, and a sliver of wisdom on living happily and mindfully. We hope by doing so all of you can start sharing your own Ho’Ala “Awakened” moments with all of us so we can be connected, can be heard, and can be lifted. So please email us your “Pau Hana/Aloha Friday” moments, so we can share it with the entire tribe ( 10k+ and still growing). 

Email us at info@kekoacollective.com or to me at dewey.doan@kekoacollective.com

Aloha, My name is Dewey, and I am an instigator and a disruptor of your current life. 

Sending you all my love. Please feel free to contact me directly at dewey.doan@kekoacollective.com or (808) 772-2971 if you need an extra ear or a virtual Zoom hugs.