Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi)2026 · Date · History
Hawaiʻi HCR 185 H.D. 1 requested July 31 be designated “Lā Hae Hawaiʻi” as Hawaiian Flag Day; the companion House resolution used the same date and name.
About Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi)
Lā Hae Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Flag Day, is observed on 31 July in Hawaiʻi.
The reviewed modern recognition chain includes a 1989 Hawaiʻi legislative resolution requesting the designation and a 1990 gubernatorial proclamation making every July 31 Hawaiian Flag Day.
Why Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi) matters
The modern observance honours the Hawaiian flag and carries a date connected to the 1843 restoration of authority to the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Its modern recognition chain is later: the reviewed evidence distinguishes nineteenth-century history from 1989 legislative action and the 1990 gubernatorial proclamation.
History of Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi)
On 21 April 1989, the Hawaiʻi Senate adopted H.C.R. No. 185 H.D. 1, which requested that July 31 be designated Lā Hae Hawaiʻi as Hawaiian Flag Day.
The National Park Service records that Governor John Waiheʻe signed a proclamation on 26 July 1990 making every July 31 Hawaiian Flag Day.
The same National Park Service history says Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site began an annual Lā Hae Hawaiʻi tradition in 1990.
The date reaches further back to 31 July 1843, when authority was restored to the Hawaiian Kingdom after the Paulet episode; that historical event is the date rationale, not evidence that the modern state-recognized observance began in 1843.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
5 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
Hawaii Flag day, Lā Hae Hawaiʻi
How to Observe Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi)
Use 31 July for Lā Hae Hawaiʻi / Hawaiian Flag Day.
Keep the 1843 Hawaiian Kingdom history distinct from the 1989 legislative action and 1990 gubernatorial proclamation.
Treat National Park Service ceremonies as documented modern observance, not as proof of one exclusive statewide organizer.
Avoid turning the historical restoration event into a claim that the present modern observance has existed continuously since 1843.
Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi) Facts
The modern recurring date is 31 July.
Hawaiʻi legislators adopted a resolution in 1989 requesting the July 31 designation.
Governor John Waiheʻe issued a proclamation on 26 July 1990 making every July 31 Hawaiian Flag Day.
Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site began a documented annual tradition in 1990.
The reviewed evidence does not establish one first-ever statewide public observance beyond the documented recognition chain.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Hawaiʻi House Journal 1989 — Hawaiian Flag Day resolution record (opens in a new tab)
State Legislative Record
Hawaiʻi Senate Journal 1989 — HCR 185 H.D. 1 (opens in a new tab)
State Legislative Record
U.S. National Park Service — Hawaiian Flag Day historical and 1990 proclamation chronology (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi)?
31 July The documented recurrence rule is: 31 July.
Does Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi) fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi) an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Hawaiʻi / Hawaiian flag commemoration supported by 1989 state legislative resolutions. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi)?
The reviewed sources identify Governor of Hawaiʻi John Waiheʻe as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is Hawaiian Flag Day (Lā Hae Hawaiʻi) international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Hawaiʻi / Hawaiian flag commemoration supported by 1989 state legislative resolutions. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-09.
When is Lā Hae Hawaiʻi / Hawaiian Flag Day?
It is observed on 31 July.
Why is Hawaiian Flag Day on July 31?
The date recalls 31 July 1843, when authority was restored to the Hawaiian Kingdom after the Paulet episode.
When did modern state recognition occur?
The Hawaiʻi Legislature adopted a designation request in 1989, and the National Park Service records a gubernatorial proclamation on 26 July 1990 making every July 31 Hawaiian Flag Day.
Other observances on July 31
These observances are also listed on July 31, 2027.
Harry Potter’s birthday
HarryPotter.com, the official Wizarding World site, identifies July 31 as Harry Potter’s fictional birthday and has published official birthday celebrations tied to that date.
International Lifeguard Appreciation Day
The RNLI identifies July 31 as International Lifeguard Appreciation Day in its 2026 anniversary materials and news releases.
Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Udham Singh
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting states that Shaheed Udham Singh’s martyrdom day is observed on 31 July every year.
World Ranger Day
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