Merrie Monarch Medal from 1967

When Ruth & Paul came to pick us up for our double-date, Paul brought along a wonderful gift for us.

It's a Bronze Medal from the 1967 Merrie Monarch Festival, held annually in Hilo, Hawai`i (where we got married) to commemorate King Kalakaua, the last King (though not last Monarch) of Hawai`i.

Kalakaua was referred to as the 'Merrie Monarch' because of the lavish parties the threw, his patronage of the arts, and because of all he did to restore traditional Hawaiian cultural traditions (including the hula) to the islands, after Christian missionaries had all but eradicated them.

The main competitions that occur at the Merrie Monarch festival are hula, with hula halau's from all over the state (and even from the mainland) converging on Hilo to celebrate and help perpetuate Hawaiian culture together. So it's likely this medal was awarded to someone for their exceptional hula back in 1967 - perhaps a halau here in Seattle? You can check out some photos, video, and commentary from 2009's Merrie Monarch Festival over at one of Dan's favorite blogs - Hilo Living.

One interesting note is the spelling of 'Merry', not 'Merrie', on the medal. Perhaps the naming has changed through the years, or perhaps it was a typo? It's definitely spelled 'Merrie' these days, as the official Merrie Monarch Festival attests.