A New Year Mele, Slightly Updated
Cover Image: Masthead of Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, published on January 7, 1871.
Wishing you all a very happy new year! Here are a few New Year’s greetings from the newspapers of the past.
Image: Three newspaper mastheads with new year message. [top] Ka Hoku o Hawaii, published on January 1, 1941. [middle] Ke Alakai o Hawaii, published on December 31, 1931. [bottom] Ka Na’i Aupuni, published on January 2, 1906.
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Image: “HAPE NU IA!” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, January 7, 1871, p. 2.
HAPE NU IA!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Once, the conversation between Wa [Time] and Manawa [Period] was heard; it was quickly written down by Ianuari [January], the one who understood each of the letters the two of them spoke. However, should the reader look carefully, observing every letter at the end of the lines from top to bottom, seen will be these words going downwards: Hape nu ia! Olioli Makahiki Hou! Then perhaps it will be the refrain of their dream they yearned for. This is how their conversation went:
Wa. “H—a! e helu ana au ano! “Ha! I will count immediately!
[A—lua tausani na M. H. Two thousand years
P—ili mai me Along with
I—wakalua kumamaono M. H.]*” twenty-six years”
Manawa. “N—ui maoli no ka na M. H. “Those truly are many years
U—a lawa anei ka huina M. H. Is the total enough?”
Wa. “I—ka pau ana o keia makahiki, “When the year is over,
A—laila, paa no ia Buke M. H.” Then that volume will be done.”
Manawa. “O!—ke hoomau nei no au i ka “Oh, I am continuing to work,
L—apuwale ke noho wale, It is worthless to be idle
I—na e molowa na mea a pau, If everyone was lazy
O—lioli no au i ka hana, I would be happy to work
L—ealea nui au ia mea, I enjoy it greatly
I—ka po a me ke ao.” At night and at day
M—akemake nui no au pela, Such is my great desire,
A—ole kanalua, a palaleha, Without hesitation, and indifference,
K—a hana mau ka mea e pono ai, Always working brings prosperity,
A—ole maikai na kanaka No good are those who
H—iamoe, palaka, opu heha, Sleep, are inactive, and lazy
I—lihune, pelapela, weluwelu:— Impoverished, filthy, ragged:—
K—e hoomaka hou nei We start anew
I—kahi (1) ma kahi o ka ole (0).” With a 1 where there was a 0.”
Manawa. “H—auoli nui no au i ko’u makaala, Very happy am I in my vigilance,
O—luolu mau no ko kaua noho ana, Our lives are comfortable,
U—a oki ano e hamau kaua!” Stop at once and let us be silent!
With an Aloha Happy New Year.
Ianuari.
These three updated bracketed lines originally read,
A—kahi tausani na M. H. One-thousand years,
P—ili mai me ewalu haneri, Along with eight hundred,
E—hiku hou umi M. H.” And seven tens years.”
The following is a list of some of the more common ways “Happy New Year” was expressed in the Hawaiian language newspapers, from the most common on the top to the least common on the bottom. The year following the phrase is most likely the first time it appears in the papers.
Hape Nuia (1862)
Hapenuia (1866)
Hauoli Makahiki Hou (1870)
Aloha Makahiki Hou (1843)
Aloha Hapenuia (1882)
Aloha Hape Nuia (1871)
Hape Nu Ia (1863)
Olioli Makahiki Hou (1862)
Aloha Hape Nu Ia (1871)
Hapi Nuia (1861)
Hapinuia (1867)
Hapi Nu Ia (1871)
Hauoli Nuia (1906)
Aloha Hapi nuia (1874)
Aloha Hapi Nu Ia (1874)
Aloha Hapinuia (1880)
Nanea Makahiki Hou (1881)
This post is part of He Aupuni Palapala: Preserving and Digitizing the Hawaiian Language Newspapers, a partnership between Bishop Museum and Awaiaulu with assistance from Kamehameha Schools. Mahalo nui loa to Hawaii Tourism Authority for their support. Learn more about this project here.
