Have you ever wondered where the tiki hut style of building comes from? Though the tiki hut bar is a relatively modern invention, its architecural roots can be traced back to ancient Hawaii. For centuries, traditional Hawaiian structures had thatched roofs made of pili grass. Often, a large fishing net covered the grass to keep […]

The islands of Hawaii have been settled for thousands of years. Though little is known of Hawaii’s earliest history, it is believed that the islands were settled by Polynesian travelers between A.D. 300 and A.D. 800. These Polynesians shared their cultural traditions, including religion, myths, and social organization, between the islands they colonized. For this […]

Today, most people are familiar with tiki statues and masks from a tiki bar or a tropical-themed resort. Tiki statues have become synonymous with a certain type of tropical ambience which became popular in the 1930s. The tiki craze lasted well into the 1960s, and even today there are tiki restaurants around the country. Today, […]

Though many modern buildings found on the islands of Hawaii closely resemble the buildings found on the United States mainland, the historic architecture of Hawaii is a symbol of the rich cultural traditions of the islands. For centuries, Hawaii has been a melting pot, with travelers coming from other Polynesian islands as well as elsewhere […]

The first tiki bars began to crop up in the years before World War II. After the War, the thousands of soldiers returning from the Pacific caused a tiki fad that would last well into the 1960s. The tiki bar is known for its tropical atmosphere, instantly transporting guests to a sandy beach as they […]

Have you ever wondered who started the trend of Hawaiian print shirts? The very first Aloha shirts were sold in the 1930s in Waikiki, and were made from kimono fabrics. The first tropical-print shirts, or what we would think of today as the iconic Hawaiian style, were made in Hawaii during the 1930s when clothing […]

Many brides dream of a beachside ceremony in Hawaii. Some couples choose a Hawaiian-themed wedding because one or both of them is from Hawaii. Others select this them because they have fallen in love with the allure of the islands and want their wedding to feel like a tropical paradise. Though Hawaiian-themed weddings are certainly […]

Tiki totem poles are beautiful carved wooden decorations for indoors or out. Handcrafted tiki totem poles combine the traditional imagery of the tiki gods of Polynesia with the style of totem poles better known from Northwest Coast Native American tribes. There are many parallels between the history of tiki figures and the history of carved […]

If you visit Hawaii, or indeed any Polynesian island, you are sure to notice that coconut finds its way into many dishes. In fact, coconut composes up to half of the typical diet in some areas of Polynesia. This fruit grows on the ubiquitous palm tree, which can be spotted on nearly every island in […]

Tiki bars are a great way to add a little bit of paradise into your backyard or even your living room. You can even make a tiki bar in a weekend using bamboo and other tropically-inspired elements. Since the 1950s, people on the mainland have been drawn to tiki bars as an out-of-the-ordinary escape from […]