Hawaii is the only state in the United States that was once an independent country with its own language and culture. Today, many Hawaiians continue to celebrate traditional Hawaiian holidays, such as Prince Kuhio Day, Kamehameha Day, and Aloha Week. In celebration of their Hawaiian ancestry, Islanders might dress in traditional clothes such as loose dresses called muumuus or colorful shirts. Around their necks they might wear leis,or rings of flowers.
Even when it comes to celebrating a traditional American holiday such as Thanksgiving, Hawaiians give it their own special flavor. They might place pumpkins on doorsteps and paste cardboard pilgrims on windows, but chances are there will also be a turkey or a pig roasting under the ground in an earth oven, or imu.