The Oahu Luau Trivia Game
Are you and your family or group of friends planning to make an Oahu luau one of your Oahu activities? Are you having a little friendly competition to see who knows the most about Oahu luau and the Hawaii luau tradition? Settle it once and for all with our Oahu luau trivia game! Below are ten questions about Oahu luau, with the answers listed in order at the bottom of the page.
#1. Which part of a male hula dancers costume can tell you where he comes from?
#2. True or False: Luau have always included alcoholic beverages.
#3. What musical instrument accompanied the first hula?
#4. Which Oahu luau custom is one of Hawaii’s most ancient rituals?
#5. True or False: Hawaiians invented the lei.
#6. Which Oahu luau buffet favorite is also known as the “Polynesian Potato”?
#7. When was the Hawaiian fire-knife dance invented?
#8. True or False: The first Hawaii luau in recorded history was held so people could cut loose and party.
#9. When ancient Hawaiians said “luau”, what were they referring to?
#10. What is the cheapest luau on Oahu?
#1. Notice we said “can” tell you, not “will” tell you. The male dancers at many Oahu luau after-dinner shows have elaborate tattoos that, if you know how to read them, can tell you their history and genealogy.
#2. False. Alcoholic beverages, specifically the Mai Tai, were introduced to Oahu Luau culture about a hundred years after the first Hawaii luau took place. The Mai Tai was first linked to Hawaii luau by the Elvis Presley movie Blue Hawaii.
#3. No musical instrument accompanied the first hula – in ancient Hawaii hula consisted only of chanting and movement. It was later that hula began to be performed with ukulele and song like we see it at Oahu luau today.
#4. The cooking of the Kalua pig in the imu oven, something that we see at almost every Oahu luau, is one of Hawaii’s most ancient customs. The Kalua pig we eat at modern Oahu luau buffets is cooked in almost exactly the same way as it was at the very first Hawaii luau.
#5. False. Fresh-flower lei like the ones guests are greeted with at Oahu luau first arrived in the islands by canoe with some of Hawaii’s original Polynesian settlers.
#6. Taro root, which is used in many dishes on an Oahu luau menu, is grown in place of the potato in many African and Polynesian societies. Taro roots mashed and mixed with water are used to make poi, an ancient Hawaiian dish that has been on the table at Hawaii luau since the beginning.
#7. Never! The fire-knife dance that is such a big part of Oahu luau is actually Samoan in origin. In recent years, the tradition of the Hawaii luau has expanded to include many aspects of Polynesian culture, ensuring that Oahu luau attendees will be treated to a truly multi-cultural experience when at a Hawaii luau.
#8. False. The first Hawaii luau had a much more important purpose than just a good time. The first Hawaii luau abolished the kapu system, a code of conduct that forbade men from eating with women, commoners from eating with royalty, and women from eating certain foods under any circumstances. When we attend an Oahu luau today, we are participating in a major turning point in Hawaii’s history.
#9. Chicken! That’s right, luau-style feasts were actually known as aha’aina, a Hawaiian word meaning “to gather”, for many years after the first Hawaii luau. In those days, “luau” referred to a dish of chicken and taro leaves steamed in coconut milk. This dish is still a part of the meal at Oahu luau today.
#10. We don’t know! That’s right, we can’t actually tell you the best deal on an Oahu luau, because it changes all the time. However, we can tell you who to ask – the Oahu luau experts at Boss Frog’s. They always know where to find great deals on Oahu luau and give you the latest info, so be sure to give them a call!