Anahulu Poepoe 12/12 – 12/21/2024

Aloha pumehana kākou, 

During finals week of this fall semester, perhaps you might have noticed many folks sneezing for, really, a variety of reasons. The strong gusts of wind have been blowing around pollen and dust, and certainly students are getting less sleep than usual (and many of us are walking around campus clutching our cups of coffee). 

Rather than simply saying “Bless you!” or “Ola!” to the next person who sneezes, perhaps you can wish someone good health by using this ʻōlelo noʻeau: 

Lawea ke kihe i Mauliola. 

Take the sneeze to Mauliola. 

Said to one who sneezes. A similar saying is Kihe, a Mauliola. —ʻŌN#1956

Although this simple act of saying “Lawea ke kihe i Mauliola!” to someone might feel small and inconsequential, it still makes a big difference—and it makes good practice for those of us who are looking to incorporate more ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi colloquial expressions in our everyday conversations.