Fall is in the air! The evenings are getting nippy, even here in sunny Hawaii. Yes, I felt compelled to pull on a sweatshirt last night as the temperature dropped down to the high 60’s! Burrrrrrr.
October is the end of the year for our honey harvests. We harvest the Macadamia Blossom honey in the spring, the Ohia Lehua blossom honey in the summer and the Wilelaiki Blossom honey in the fall. Now the bees will rest and forage nectar such as Eucalyptus. We leave all of the honey for the bees to eat during the cooler months when there is not so much to forage.
What else is a sign of autumn in Hawaii? Halloween, which brings ghost stories and pumpkins! The pumpkin patches are full. Here is a photo of my friend Patti’s daily pickings from her backyard Kabocha pumpkin patch.
Why not try some of our delicious sweet and savory pumpkin recipes while sitting under the moonlight and telling spooky stories?
Hawaii is well known for it’s many legends and ghost stories. Ancient Polynesians who believed in the power and spirit of the land settled these islands. There are many tales about Night Marchers, Menehunes and the Goddess Pele.
After the original settlers, other travelers followed. Hawaii is a state made of immigrants from almost every culture, each with their own myths and supernatural stories.
Happy Halloween!
Suggested readings:
- Haunted Hawaiian Nights by Lopaka Kapanui
- Obake: Ghost Stories in Hawai‘i by Glen Grant
- Hawai‘i’s Best Spooky Tales series by Rick Carroll
