Hawaii Flag Day
United States
About
Hawaii Flag Day, observed on July 31, celebrates the history and meaning of the Hawaiian flag. With its distinctive Union Jack and eight red, white, and blue stripes, the flag reflects Hawai‘i’s connections to the wider world while honoring the islands’ unique identity and heritage.
The observance invites residents and visitors to learn more about Hawai‘i’s past, appreciate its cultural traditions, and display the flag with pride. It is also a meaningful occasion to recognize the values of unity, resilience, and aloha that continue to shape the people and communities of the Hawaiian Islands.
History
Hawaii Flag Day is observed on **July 31** and honors the history and continuing cultural meaning of the Hawaiian flag. The date connects the observance with the restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s sovereignty in 1843. After British naval officer Lord George Paulet temporarily assumed control of the islands, Admiral Richard Thomas arrived in Honolulu and restored authority to King Kamehameha III on July 31, 1843. The event became associated with the Hawaiian expression *Ua Mau Ke Ea o Ka ʻĀina i Ka Pono*—often translated as “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”—which remains Hawaii’s official motto.
The Hawaiian flag itself reflects the kingdom’s diplomatic history. Its design combines the Union Jack, acknowledging early relations with Great Britain, with eight horizontal stripes representing the major inhabited Hawaiian Islands. Although accounts differ regarding the precise circumstances of its design and attribution, the flag was used by the Hawaiian Kingdom and continued to appear through the later periods of the republic, U.S. territorial government, and statehood. Its survival across these political changes has made it a particularly powerful symbol of Hawaii’s layered history.
Over time, Hawaii Flag Day evolved from a commemoration centered on the flag’s historical associations into a broader occasion for recognizing Hawaiian identity, sovereignty, and cultural continuity. Displays of the flag may accompany educational programs, public ceremonies, cultural events, and discussions of the Hawaiian Kingdom and its legacy. The observance also provides an opportunity to consider the difference between the flag as an official governmental emblem and its deeper significance to Native Hawaiians and others who view it as a representation of homeland, heritage, and political history.
Today, July 31 serves as a reminder that the Hawaiian flag has carried meaning through periods of monarchy, annexation, territorial administration, and statehood. Hawaii Flag Day therefore honors not only a distinctive design but also the historical experiences attached to it. Its significance lies in the way the flag continues to connect contemporary Hawaii with the Hawaiian Kingdom and with enduring traditions of place, community, and cultural memory.