King Kamehameha Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
State of Hawaiʻi sources verify the 22 December 1871 proclamation, first celebration on 11 June 1872, current June 11 state-holiday status and statutory celebration commission.
About King Kamehameha Day
King Kamehameha Day is a Hawaiʻi state holiday observed on June 11 in honor of Kamehameha I.
The State of Hawaiʻi’s King Kamehameha Celebration Commission coordinates official commemorative events associated with the holiday.
Why King Kamehameha Day matters
The observance commemorates Kamehameha I, who is remembered in Hawaiʻi state sources for uniting the Hawaiian Islands into the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.
Official celebrations can include lei-draping ceremonies, parades and cultural programs; schedules vary by island and year.
History of King Kamehameha Day
The King Kamehameha Celebration Commission states that Kamehameha V proclaimed the holiday on 22 December 1871 to honor his grandfather, Kamehameha I.
The same official history records 11 June 1872 as the first Kamehameha Day celebration.
The commission explains that June 11 was deliberately placed well away from Kamehameha V’s own December 11 birthday after people had wanted to honor him instead.
Current Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes list June 11 as King Kamehameha I Day and direct the commission to manage annual celebration arrangements.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
King Kamehameha V
The current state commission history states that Kamehameha V proclaimed the holiday to honor his grandfather, Kamehameha I.
King Kamehameha V of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Proclamation of a national holiday by King Kamehameha V on 22 December 1871
First documented observance
The official commission history identifies this as the first Kamehameha Day holiday celebration.
Established a public commission to formalize planning and coordination of King Kamehameha Day celebrations.
Territory of Hawaiʻi Legislature · Creation of the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission
Continues June 11 as a state holiday and assigns annual celebration arrangements to the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission.
State of Hawaiʻi · Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes §§8-1 and 8-5
King Kamehameha Celebration Commission, State of Hawaiʻi
HRS §8-5 directs the commission to manage annual celebration arrangements generally observed throughout Hawaiʻi on June 11.
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.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe King Kamehameha Day
Check the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission or State Foundation on Culture and the Arts for the current island-by-island schedule.
Attend a lei-draping, parade or cultural program where public attendance is invited.
Use Hawaiʻi historical and cultural institutions to learn more about Kamehameha I and the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Treat Native Hawaiian history, language and ceremony with respect rather than as costume or novelty.
Do not assume every official event occurs on June 11 itself; state celebrations may be scheduled on nearby dates.
King Kamehameha Day Facts
King Kamehameha Day is observed on June 11.
Kamehameha V proclaimed the holiday on 22 December 1871.
The first recorded Kamehameha Day celebration was held on 11 June 1872.
Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes currently list June 11 as a state holiday.
The King Kamehameha Celebration Commission has statutory responsibility for annual celebration arrangements.
King Kamehameha Day Messages
May the commemoration be approached with respect for Native Hawaiian history, language and community leadership.
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 Revised Statutes §8-1 — state holidays (opens in a new tab)
State Statute
Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes §8-5 — celebration commission (opens in a new tab)
State Statute
State Foundation on Culture and the Arts — 2026 King Kamehameha Celebrations (opens in a new tab)
State of Hawaiʻi — King Kamehameha Celebration Commission (opens in a new tab)
State Government Commission
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 King Kamehameha Day?
11 June The documented recurrence rule is: 11 June.
Does King Kamehameha Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is King Kamehameha Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Hawaiʻi / state holiday and official King Kamehameha I commemoration. 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 King Kamehameha Day?
The reviewed sources identify King Kamehameha V of the Hawaiian Kingdom as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as King Kamehameha V. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as King Kamehameha Celebration Commission, State of Hawaiʻi.
Is King Kamehameha Day international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Hawaiʻi / state holiday and official King Kamehameha I commemoration. 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 2026-09-28.
When is King Kamehameha Day?
It is observed on June 11 in Hawaiʻi.
Who established the holiday?
Official Hawaiʻi material states that King Kamehameha V proclaimed it on 22 December 1871 in honor of Kamehameha I.
When was the first celebration?
The King Kamehameha Celebration Commission records the first celebration on 11 June 1872.
Who coordinates official celebrations today?
Hawaiʻi law assigns annual celebration arrangements to the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission.
Other observances on June 11
These observances are also listed on June 11, 2027.
International Day of Play
A/RES/78/268