Lono

How to recognise Lono

1. Akua loa staffA tall upright wooden pole, carved from a tree felled and shaped for the season, is the 'long god' that stands for Lono.
2. Carved headA small carved head (kiʻi) tops the staff as a simple, dignified carving rather than a realistic person.
3. CrosspieceA horizontal crosspiece (keʻa, ʻaunaki) is tied just below the head, and the other adornments hang from it.
4. White kapa bannerA long banner of plain white kapa (bark-cloth) hangs from the crosspiece, since white kapa streamers are closely linked with Lono.
5. Green fernFronds of pala or palapalai fern are fastened to the crosspiece, bringing the green of the land into the image.
6. FeathersFeather lei (lei hulu) hang from the crosspiece, and traditional images also carry kaʻupu (Laysan albatross) skins there.
7. Akua poko companionA smaller twin image, the akua poko, stays within a district while the akua loa travels clockwise and the akua poko goes counterclockwise.

Names and titles

• Lono of the MakahikiLonoikamakahiki, the name the akua loa takes while it travels the island circuit
• Father LonoLonomākua, the name of the completed image; also rendered Lono the Provider
• The Long GodThe akua loa is called 'long' because of its long travels around the island
• Head Hidden in the Dark CloudsA traditional description of Lono as the god whose head is hidden in the dark clouds
• Returns With the First RainsHawaiian tradition says the first rain of the wet season marks Lono's arrival

Feast days

• Welehu9 November 2026

  The new moon (Hilo) that opens the lunar month of Welehu on Hawaiʻi Island calendars, the first month after ʻIkuwā. It falls within the Makahiki season, when devotees honor Lono, the akua of rain, agriculture, fertility and peace.

  How it's celebrated. Little is recorded about rites for this moon alone. It is a marker in the Hawaiian lunar calendar, and Makahiki observances are usually timed to the rising of Makaliʻi. Communities keep the season with ceremony, offerings (hoʻokupu), hula, feasting and traditional games. Month names and order differ between islands and between old sources.

  Sources: UH Climate Data Portal: Hawaiian Moon Calendar · Maunakea Observatories: Hawaiian Skies, Hikikauʻelia 2025 · Images of Old Hawaiʻi: Seasons, Months, Times of Year

• Rising of Makaliʻi17 November 2026 (date to be confirmed)

  The evening rising of Makaliʻi (the Pleiades), a traditional sign that Makahiki, the season of Lono, is opening. Makaliʻi rises just after sunset. This is the same observation as the 2027 entry, kept in a different year.

  How it's celebrated. Communities decide the day by observation. On Hawaiʻi Island the next crescent moon marks the start. Oʻahu has its own sighting points. Today opening ceremonies include chant, hoʻokupu, a procession of Lono's akua loa, and an ʻawa gathering. Examples are East Maui, Lehia in Hilo, and Pearl Harbor. Games and feasting follow.

  Sources: Wikipedia: Makahiki · Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke: Makahiki in East Maui · NPS Haleakalā: Makahiki

• Makaliʻi9 December 2026

  The new moon (Hilo) that opens the lunar month of Makaliʻi on Hawaiʻi Island calendars, the month after Welehu. It falls within the Makahiki season of Lono. Its name is the same as that of the Pleiades.

  How it's celebrated. Little is recorded about rites for this moon itself. It falls mid-season, when devotees keep Makahiki through ceremony, hoʻokupu, hula, storytelling, feasting and games such as ulu maika and konane. Some communities hold their main gatherings later, as on Molokaʻi in January. Calendars vary by island and by source.

  Sources: UH Climate Data Portal: Hawaiian Moon Calendar · Moʻolelo Minute: Makahiki (Kanu o ka ʻĀina) · Maunakea Observatories: Hawaiian Skies, Hikikauʻelia 2025