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By Maui Now Staff

Ceremonies this week mark the 243rd birthday of the Maui-born favorite wife of Kamehameha the Great, Queen Kaʻahumanu.

The ʻAhahui Kaʻahumanu society will present hula, oli (chant), mele (song) and moʻolelo (stories) to celebrate the March 17th birthday of Queen Kaʻahumanu.

The annual event starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Shopping Center’s center stage.

Ceremonies will culminate with ʻAhahui members adorning the 8-foot bronze statue of the monarch with lei.

Members will also gather for Aliʻi Sunday services at 9 a.m. on Sunday, March 15 at Kaʻahumanu Church in Wailuku.

Members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha, Kahekili Chapter from Maui host an annual procession down Kaʻahumanu Avenue in Kahului to commemorate and honor the King who unified the Hawaiian Islands under one rule. The organization will be joined by members of other royal societies and community groups on the island. File photo by Wendy Osher.
Members of the Ahahui Kaahumanu society are shown (in black regalia) here participating in the annual Kamehameha Day procession, which is held each year on June 11 in Kahului to commemorate and honor the King who unified the Hawaiian Islands under one rule. File photo by Wendy Osher.
The public is welcome to attend both events.

The ʻAhahui Kaʻahumanu is a 150-year-old Hawaiian women’s benevolent society honoring Queen Kaʻahumanu through community service and by promoting education, Christian values and Hawaiian culture and language.

Today, members of the Wailuku chapter award scholarships, feed less-fortunate families, and offer cultural programs involving Hawaiian history, hula, lei making and other activities.