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What's In A Name?
PINEAPPLE
LANGUAGE (ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI)
In Hawaiʻi, a pineapple is called “hala kahiki”. This comes from the fact that early Hawaiians thought the pineapple resembled the “Hala” fruit. And when combined with “Kahiki”, which means foreign, henceforth pineapples came to be known as “foreign halas”.
HALA
SYMBOLISM
There are several stories of how the pineapple gained its status symbol for Hospitality. Due to its scarcity and price throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, pineapples were served only to most-honored guests. Any host that presented an intact pineapple made guests feel special and particularly valued. Additionally, once more abundantly available, pineapples were sometimes hung on doorways as a sign of friendship, warmth and welcome. Likewise, sailors who returned safely from their oceanic voyages placed a pineapple in front of their homes to invite friends and neighbors.
