Table of contents

• Introduction
• Hawaiian Luau Party Invitations
• Miniature Surfboard
• Grass Skirt /Flower Shirt
• Lei
• Hawaiian Luau Party Dress Code
• Hawaiian Luau Party Decorations
• Hawaiian Luau Party Guest Arrival & Announcement
• Hawaiian Luau Party Favors
• Hawaiian Luau Party Activities
• Limbo
• Beach Bowling
• Fashion Show
• Hawaiian Tattoo
• Food & Drink

Introduction

If you love all things Hawaiian - such as sun, surf, palm trees and parties - then the Hawaiian party is just the thing for you. Below you will find all the tips to organize the successful event. However, just before we get to that, a couple of things you might not have known about the Hawaiian Luau.

"Paina" and "Ahaaina" are synonyms for "Luau", however it is the latter term that we all know. It was first used by the Pacific Commercial Advertiser in 1856 and is the name of one of the traditional foods (made from taro tops baked with chicken or octopus in coconut milk.

The feast itself was originally intended to celebrate the arrival of visitors to the island as well as tribal events such as coming of age. Back then, however, the men and women were forbidden to eat together and even then the women could only eat certain kinds of foods. But that changed too when King Kamehameha II scrapped those laws, intending equality for all (at least around the table).

Now, as mentioned before, the name of this party comes from one of the traditional dishes. These were eaten on the ground on top of Ti leaves which covered a "Lauhala" mat.

And our last interesting fact about luaus have to do with the flowers women wear either behind the left or the right ear. As you may have guessed, this is of some cultural significance: worn behind the right ear, the women in question is available (or to put it in more modern terms... single). Worn behind the left, however, and you can be sure there's some sturdy young chap that has won her affections (modern term: in a relationship).

That being said, it's time to party!

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Hawaiian Luau Party Invitations 

• Party Name: Give your party a fitting name, for example “Lee’s Luau Blowout”

• Salutation: An example here would be “Dear Simon & Jane”

• Date & Time

• Venue/Location

• Dress Code

• Contact Details

• Additional information…
  

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Miniature Surfboard

For the miniature surfboard invitation, you will naturally need to get your hands on a miniature surfboard for each of the guests you are planning to invite. These can be bought from the appropriate store in your area or from the Internet.

Now, once you have the surfboards you can go one of two ways: your first option will be to have the details of the party either engraved or painted onto the surfboard. For this you will naturally have to get into contact with someone capable of doing the job for you. Alternatively you can make your own invitation using a computer and a printer which you then attach to the surfboard.

Once the whole thing is finished and your are satisfied, simply put on your flower shirt and board shorts and get ready to deliver them.

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Grass Skirt /Flower Shirt

For those with an accommodating budget this idea will send your friends that Hawaiian message loud and clear! For this you will need to get each of the boys you are planning to invite a Hawaiian flower shirt and for each of the girls, a Hawaiian grass skirt. Once you have these items, you will have to make a paper-based invitation for each of the girls to attach to the grass skirt.

As for the boys, you can either have the party invitation details printed or embroidered on them or attach a paper-based invitation to them as well.

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Lei

Of all the things people know about Hawaii, the Lei is the most famous. It is after all a traditional symbol of affection!

For this invitation you will simply need to make the Lei (or buy them if you wish) for each of the friends you wish to invite. If you are planning on inviting gurls as well as boys, then you can choose blue flowers for the boys and pink ones for the girls. When that's done, you will also need to make a couple of normal paper invitations to go with each Lei.

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Hawaiian Luau Party Dress Code

Hawaiian floral shirts, grass skirts, bikinis and board shorts (or just normal slacks/chinos) – as you all know, these are the things worn to most Hawaiian parties. Oh, and Leis. If you think your friends might not be aware of this, be sure to let them know on the invitations under the “Dress Code” section.

Hawaiian Luau Party Decorations

As to the decoration of your Hawaiian here are a couple of ideas that you can use. You’ll be able to find these items at an appropriate retailer in your area or from the internet.

• Tropical flowers and plants – as centerpieces.

• Palm trees – either fake, inflatable or real.

• Fishing nets

• Tiki torches

• Sea shells

• Leis

• Hawaiian music

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Hawaiian Luau Party Guest Arrival & Announcement

This is as easy as pie as we have all seen people on TV being welcomed to Hawaii by someone from the island hanging Leis around their necks. As such, dress up in your Hawaiian gear and await your friends at the door. When they arrive, shake their hand or give them a hug and put the Lei around their necks.

Hawaiian Luau Party Favors

Here are a couple of items that can be used as party favors. These can be purchased from your local Hawaiian souvenir supply store or from the internet.

• grass skirts

• sarongs

• Hawaiian cups

• Tiki statuettes

• Tiki torches

• Leis

• Key rings

• Miniature surfboards

• Towels

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Hawaiian Luau Party Activities

Limbo

If you have ever danced Limbo, then you will indeed know that is great fun! But just in case you don't know how to go about it, we'll tell you. First off you will need three sticks or poles. These need to be about five or six feet in length. Once you have the sticks or poles, you will need to affix pegs to two of them at exactly the same places every couple of inches. The third stick is the limbo stick and can be decorated as you wish.

Now, for the activity to be successful you will need some music to set the correct atmosphere. Once you have the music and it's time for the party to kick off, you and your friends have to dance under the limbo stick by bending over backwards. If anyone knocks the limbo stick off, they are out for the remainder of the dance. The person who manages to pass under the limbo stick at its lowest, wins.

Beach Bowling

Even though it's a Hawaiian party, who says bowling is not allowed? For this activity you will need one coconut and about 10 empty plastic soft-drink bottles filled with sand. Now before you start you will have to empty the coconut by drilling holes into it. The reason for this is that it will be used as the bowling ball. Once everything is ready, set up the pins to resemble the tenpin bowling triangle and get ready to bowl!

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Fashion Show

For this activity you and your friends will need a couple of newspapers and/or magazines as well as lots of pink paper. In addition, some duct tape and a some wire could come in useful (as well as something to cut the wire with).

Before there can be a fashion show, you need some fashion. As such, all participants have to be split into a couple of groups. These groups then have to make a number of outfits using only the materials mentioned and keeping with the Hawaiian theme (which means that flowers or other plant materials can also be used). This can be achieved by using the wire to make a frame for a dress or a hat and then using the duct tape to stick the paper to the frame.

When all the outfits have been designed and made, it’s time for a fashion show! This is where your friends will be able to model the various creations. To make it a fair contest, ask those individuals that aren’t modeling the outfits to sit on the panel of judges (along with a couple of impartial ones).

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Hawaiian Tattoo

The Hawaiian tattoo has very strong cultural and symbolic ties and will add to the decorations of your party. So, for something different, why not get a couple of paintbrushes and some body paint? Divide your guests into two groups - those who will be painted and those who will be the artists. Naturally, once half the group has been painted, it's time for the other group to take a seat and let those who have already been painted to show their artistic skill.

Be sure to get enough body paint and paint brushes for the occasion.

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Food & Drink

If you want to go totally Hawaiian for this party, then you can browse the internet for recipes for Hawaiian dishes. These include: Poi, kulolo, laulau, rice, opihi, kalua pig, huapia, lomilomi salmon.

However if you think normal foods will work much better, then you need only draw up your own menu or choose from the following list (again, if you need any recipes, be sure to look on the internet):

• Nuts

• Chips

• Sandwiches

• Fajitas

• Tacos

• Hot dogs

• Chicken wings

• Crackers

• Salads

And as for drinks, why not serve non-alcoholic cocktails? Here’s the list of a couple of which the recipes are available on the internet:

• Morning Sunrise

• Cape Passion

• Pink Lemonade

• Apple Virgin Mojito

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