LIHU‘E — Orders for kadomatsu, a New Year’s decoration originating from Japan, are being accepted by the Hawai‘i Government Employees Association for its Kendall Scholarship program. The kadomatsu will be on sale from Saturday through Dec. 31 while supplies last.
LIHU‘E — Orders for kadomatsu, a New Year’s decoration originating from Japan, are being accepted by the Hawai‘i Government Employees Association for its Kendall Scholarship program.
The kadomatsu will be on sale from Saturday through Dec. 31 while supplies last.
Prices are $30 for HGEA members and $35 for non-HGEA members, with pickup at the HGEA office on Aikahi Street in Lihu‘e.
The kadomatsu arrangement is made of bamboo stalks, pine boughs and plum or cherry blossoms to welcome in the New Year.
A longtime tradition brought to Hawai‘i by Japanese immigrant workers, the kadomatsu tradition has been widely accepted throughout Hawai‘i as a symbol of welcoming in the new year.
Kadomatsu, evolving from Shinto beliefs in animism, are usually placed by the door, or gate and, according to the Flower Fair Hawai‘i website, will bring endurance, prosperity and vitality to business and family members in the coming year.
The materials used in kadomatsu are symbolic, the website states.
Pine, being evergreen, represents longevity while the bamboo symbolizes a youthful spirit and constancy of regeneration, mirroring the rebirth of the New Year.
HGEA members gather at the Lihu‘e center to create the kadomatsu utilizing Kaua‘i materials, proceeds from the sale benefiting the Charles Kendall Scholarship program.
Scholarships are awarded to HGEA members and their dependents.
Call Joni at 245-6751 for more information, or to place an order.
