Aloha ʻāina hoʻi kākou e nā kumu koa o ka ʻāina. ʻO Lāiana
Kanoa-Wong kēia me ka huaʻōlelo o ka lā, our Hawaiian word of the day is
"Malihini." E ʻōlelo pū kākou: "Malihini" ʻOia. The word malihini refers to a
foreigner, a stranger or newcomer to a place. Used in a ʻōlelo noʻeau
"Ho'okahi nō lā a ka malihini." This translated as a "A stranger for only a
day" after the first day as a guest or malihini, the malihini would become a
hoa kamaʻāina or a familiar friend and would help with the work of the
household. Hoʻokipa or hospitality is an important custom of our kūpuna,
another example of this is the phrase "O ke aloha ke kuleana o kahi
malihini," this would refer to the custom of compassion and hospitality
being the welcoming host in a strange land." In old Hawaiʻi it was common
to greet any malihini with expressions of hospitality and offer to share food
with them whether he was an acquaintance or a total stranger. Pela ka
nohona Hawaiʻi. E ola mau ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, aloha!
