Makahiki was the traditional Hawaiian harvest festival honoring the god Lono.
The season began when the Pleiades became visible after sunset and generally lasted about four lunar months. Warfare and many forms of labor were traditionally suspended, while communities held games, feasts, dances, and religious ceremonies.
Makahiki was also connected with taxation: chiefs received offerings of food and other goods during the season. The festival ended with ceremonies associated with the return of the war god Kū and the resumption of political and military activity.
Makahiki is sometimes described simply as a New Year celebration, but it was more specifically a seasonal religious and agricultural observance. Modern Hawaiian cultural events may revive parts of its traditions without reproducing the historical ceremonies exactly.