Hawaii passes a bill to make the shaka the state's official gesture
By Jemima Skelley|
The shaka is finally getting its day in the sun.
The hand gesture, made by curling in your three middle fingers and extending your thumb and pinkie, is already enshrined in emoji form.
And now, Hawaii has officially made the sign its official hand gesture.
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Commonly associated with surf culture, last week, Hawaiian lawmakers passed a bill enshrining the shaka into the state's culture as well.
According to the bill, the humble gesture originates from the state of Hawaii, though the legend behind it tends to vary.
"While multiple origin theories exist, all theories have the shaka developing within the state," the bill states.
"More importantly, while multiple Hawaii ethnic cultures and resident groups have contributed varying layers of meaning to the shaka," the bill adds, "there is a shared agreement in the shaka's positive sentiments and usage toward sharing aloha, fostering connection, and being pono." Pono means 'righteous and balanced'.
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Lawmakers agreed with statements put forward in the bill, which says that the shaka "key brand symbol for the state, offering influential power to build the state's economy, global brand and resident pride".
Supporters of the bill claim that because the shaka is now used and recognised worldwide, by making it the state's official hand gesture, they ensure that the legacy of it remains within Hawaii.
"This act ensures that Hawaii retains recognition as the birthplace of the shaka."
The origins of the shaka in Hawaii go back to the early 1900s. A worker at a sugar mill on one of the islands got his right-hand fingers stuck in machinery, leaving his hand mangled.
He eventually ended up working as a security guard for a train, where he would often yell and gesture at kids who snuck onto the train without paying, by raising his right hand with missing fingers.
The kids then created a hand signal to warn each other when the guard was around, which involved making a fist and sticking out the pinky and thumb.
The shaka, as it's now known, caught on among other locals, and eventually spread across the world.