O‘ahu in 1955: HONOLULU Looks Back at the 6th Narcissus Festival During Chinese New Year
“One of Hawai‘i’s most colorful events.”
HONOLULU Magazine emerged as Paradise of the Pacific in 1888, commissioned by King Kalākaua himself, making it the oldest continuously publishing magazine west of the Mississippi. Here’s a dive into our archives.
Paradise opens the new year issue by spotlighting the sixth annual Narcissus Festival, “one of Hawai‘i’s most colorful events.”
The Chinese Chamber of Commerce started it in 1949 to “preserve some of the colorful and unique customs of old China centering around the new year,” says Paradise.
Now in its 71st year, the Narcissus Festival hosts multiple events over a few months, including Chinese New Year celebrations, fashion shows, banquets and a pageant. It is one of the oldest ethnic festivals on O‘ahu, joining the ranks of other longstanding cultural celebrations such as the Cherry Blossom, Okinawan and Prince Lot Hula festivals.
Read more stories by Jayna Omaye
Learn more about the evolution of covers in HONOLULU Magazine and Paradise of the Pacific: 125 Years of Covers, available at shop.honolulumagazine.com.
Find more photos from Honolulu’s past every Thursday on Instagram @honolulumag.
