The title comes from a dish made with younger taro leaves that was historically served at these gatherings. As we speak, a lūʻau may mark a birthday, commencement, wedding ceremony or different milestone. Preparation can take days, with household coming collectively to prepare dinner and arrange for a full day of celebrating. It typically looks like a household reunion, with a number of generations across the identical desk “speaking story”: a Hawaii Pidgin expression for sitting collectively, catching up, and sharing tales, normally with pupus (snacks).
