Hawaii Public Holidays Calendar

Overview of Hawaii Public Holidays

• Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader of the American civil rights movement.
• Washington’s Birthday (Presidents' Day)
  A day to honor George Washington, the first President of the United States, and Abraham Lincoln, the President who issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Prince Kūhiō Day
  Commemorates the birth of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole (1871–1922), who was a prince of the Kingdom of Hawaii and later became a U.S. Congressional delegate.
• Good Friday
  The Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. A holy day observed in remembrance of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.
• Memorial Day
  A federal holiday dedicated to mourning and honoring all military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
• King Kamehameha I Day
  Honors King Kamehameha the Great (1758–1819), the first monarch who united and established the Kingdom of Hawaii.
• Juneteenth National Independence Day
  Commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans (Note: This is a federal holiday but is not observed as a Hawaii state government holiday).
• Independence Day
  Commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
• Statehood Day
  Commemorates Hawaii being admitted to the Union as the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959 (formerly known as Admission Day).
• Columbus Day
  Commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas (Note: This is a federal holiday but is not observed as a Hawaii state government holiday).
• Veterans Day
  Originally established to mark the armistice of World War I (November 11, 1918). It is now a holiday dedicated to honoring all military veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
• Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November)
  Commemorates the first harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrim Fathers who migrated from England in 1620.

Hawaii Flag & National Anthem

National Flag & State Flag

The national flag of Hawaii is the "Stars and Stripes" (the flag of the United States of America).
The state flag of Hawaii is "Ka Hae Hawaiʻi". It was originally the national flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii and became the state flag after Hawaii was annexed by the United States.
It features the Union Jack in the upper left canton, with eight horizontal stripes (white, red, blue) that symbolize the eight major islands of Hawaii.

The reason the Union Jack is depicted on the Hawaiian flag is attributed to King Kamehameha I, who hoisted the British national flag in his courtyard after receiving it as a gift from a British captain with whom he shared friendly relations.
Although it strongly resembles the flags of the Commonwealth nations, the Hawaiian islands have never historically been under British colonial rule.

National Anthem & State Song