Hawaii Statehood Day 2025 in the United States

Hawaii’s Statehood Day is an annual state holiday on the third Friday of August. It commemorates the anniversary of Hawaii’s statehood. This holiday is not to be confused with Statehood Day in Kentucky or Tennessee, USA.

Is Statehood Day a Public Holiday?

This is a state public holiday. State government offices are closed. Some schools and businesses may also be closed on this day.

What Do People Do?

There is a fair amount of debate surrounding this holiday, which has sparked discussions among locals. Some say that the day, which was formerly known as Admission Day, should either be removed or celebrated on a larger scale. There are those who say that no official celebrations should be held on the day and describe it as a silent day. Many people are of the opinion that the anniversary of statehood is virtually ignored, and should not be. Some people write messages or newspaper articles to promote the holiday, wishing the state a “happy birthday”.

Others believe that the holiday is a controversial matter and can be perceived as culturally insensitive by native Hawaiians. It has also been reported that a group of independence activists disrupted a Statehood Day celebration on the grounds of Iolani palace in 2006.

Public Life

Hawaii’s Statehood Day is a state holiday so government offices are closed, as well as schools and major universities. Some bus companies may observe the public holiday, while others operate seven days a week, including all holidays. Ferries may also operate on the holiday. People planning to use public transit services on this day should check with the local public transit service providers prior to traveling.

Background

Hawaii’s Statehood Day commemorates Hawaii’s admission as a state on August 21, 1959. Already in 1898, the United States had annexed Hawaii for strategic reasons during the Spanish-American War. During World War II, Oahu served as the command post for the US operations in the Pacific. After the war, two-thirds of the residents favored statehood.

However, because of the many ethnicities present, there was resistance to Hawaii’s statehood from segregated southern states. A primary election took place in Hawaii on June 27, 1959, and various statehood propositions received many votes on that day. Following the certification of the election results, President Eisenhower signed a proclamation on August 21, 1959, declaring Hawaii to be the 50th state. This was known as Admission Day until 2001.

Symbols

Hawaii was a symbol of a new frontier when it became the 50th state of the United States of America in 1959 after many years of heated political debates and discussions.

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.