The Hawaiian word ‘Lu’au’ means ‘a feast’, which has interesting origins in folklore. In ancient Hawaii, women were not allowed to eat their meals with men. Women, no matter who they were, and commoners of both sexes, were forbidden by the prevailing religion to consume certain delicacies. All this changed in when King Kamehameha II abolished all kinds of traditional religious practices in 1819. He hosted a feast where he ate with women as symbolic act to end retrograde religious practices and this historical feast was called the Luau.
The name actually originated from the most popular dish at these feasts. Leaves of the Taro plant, when cooked with Chicken and baked in coconut milk, were called Luau. Traditionally the Luau feast was eaten sitting on the floor, on rolled out mats with a large decorative bouquet of leaves, ferns and native flowers along its length. Clean Ti leaves were used as plates to set out dry starters like sweet potatoes, roasted meat, dry fish and salt, along with bowls filled with poi – a dish made from pounded taro root. The guests were expected to eat with their hands at Luau, as no cutlery or plates were used. Poi, meaning ‘finger’ in Hawaiian, gets its name from the number of fingers required to eat it – depending upon the consistency it could be eaten with three, two or even one finger.
In ancient times, the royal Luaus tended to be huge. It is said that King Kalakaua, who was known as the Merry Monarch for his love for parties and dance, invited more than 1500 guests to his 50th birthday Luau. It is said that the Guests had to be fed in batches of 500!
In the modern times, the Luaus are just as much fun but the concept has changed to allow cutlery, and of course they are no longer as huge. For the natives of the Hawaiian Islands a Luau is a meeting of family and friends to have fun and enjoy good food and good times. It is usual to throw a Luau party on birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. The Luau is characterized by the familiar family warmth and spontaneity where there may be impromptu singing and playing of an instrument. The Luau is filled with jokes and laughter, and of course the famous Hula dance.
For others all over the world, Luau is an occasion for some casual fun and a lot of tropical color. The theme has so much potential – for decoration, menu, music, clothes and dancing….If you love to party, you should try a Luau, and see if you aren’t hooked on it for good!
