Three books celebrating Hawaiian culture and traditions make wonderful gifts for friends and family.

Sending gifts to the mainland? Mail a warm reminder of the beauty of these islands with Hawaiian Massage Lomilomi. Winner of a Keep It Hawai'i Award for authentic portrayal of Hawaiian traditions, this glossy gift book features inspirational quotes and stunning photos. At bookstores and here.

A small book with a big subject is Kamālamalama – The Light of Knowledge: the Hawaiian Way to Knowledge, Health, and Excellence by Patrick Ka'ano'i. This is a book to be savored, read and re-read. With each reading, understanding deepens. He gives the meaning of the sacred sounds in the names of Kū, Kāne, Lono and Kanaloa, along with 'I. Each name has a different vowel sound, and each sound has meaning. He also includes much on Hawaiian astronomy. $10.95 at bookstores and here.

To make a big impression, give The Epic Tale of Hi'iakaikapoliopele. This wonderful tale, originally written in Hawaiian in 1903, has an engaging style and a action-packed adventure story of epic battles, surfing contests, great love affairs, and healing miracles. $40 at local bookstores.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 5:58 pm and is filed under Hawaii Inspirational, Hawaii Mythology / Folklore, Hawaii history, Hawaii non-fiction, Hawaii photographs, Hawaiian Health & Well-Being, Hawaiian Historical Fiction, Hawaiian Poetry, Hawaiian Traditions, Hawaiian language, Hawaiiana. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.