Theshaka sign, sometimes known as "hang loose", is a gesture representing "aloha spirit, love and local pride" that is the official hand gesture ofHawaii and is also associated with globalsurf culture.[1][2] It consists of extending the thumb and smallest finger while holding the three middle fingers curled, and gesturing in salutation while presenting the front or back of the hand; the wrist may be rotated back and forth for emphasis. The shaka sign is similar in shape to the letter Y in theAmerican manual alphabet inAmerican Sign Language or the sign for number six in the Chinese hand counting system. The shaka sign should not be confused with thesign of the horns, where the index and pinky fingers are extended and the thumb holds down the middle two fingers.
According to theHonolulu Star-Bulletin,[3] prevailing local lore credits the gesture to Hamana Kalili ofLaie,[4] who lost the three middle fingers of his right hand while working at theKahuku Sugar Mill.[5] Kalili was then shifted to guarding the sugar train, and his all-clear wave of thumb and pinkie is said to have evolved into the shaka as children imitated the gesture.[6][7][8][9][10]
Another theory relates the origin of the shaka to the Spanish immigrants, who folded their middle fingers and took their thumbs to their lips as a friendly gesture to represent sharing a drink with the natives they met in Hawaii.[11][12][13][14][15]
The late Lippy Espinda, a used car salesman andOahu-based entertainer, has also been named as a possible creator of the shaka.[16][17] Espinda, who frequently appeared as an extra inHawaii Five-O as well asThe Brady Bunch episodes shot in Hawaii, used the term and the sign during his television ads in the '60s. Though the claim that he is the originator of the shaka sign is debatable, he is credited with increasing its popularity and that ofHawaiian Pidgin as well.[3]
The wordshaka is also used as aninterjection expressing approval, which may predate its use for the shaka sign. According to theOxford English Dictionary the origin of the word is uncertain, but it may come from Japanese, where it is abyname for theBuddha.[18]
Residents ofHawaii use the shaka to convey the "Aloha Spirit", a concept of friendship, understanding, compassion, and solidarity among the various ethnic cultures that reside inHawaii, lacking a direct semantic to literal translation. Drivers will often use it on the road to communicate greetings along with gratitude.[19]
In 2024, Hawaiʻi enactedAct 85 designating the shaka as the state's official gesture; the law describes the form of the gesture and is codified as HRS §5-23.[20][21][5]
In the Honolulu public transport system (TheBus andSkyline),HOLO card readers display the shaka sign (along with aukulele tone) when a card is tapped.[22] Drivers who let TheBus merge or otherwise drive easily can be greeted with a Shaka,[23] activated by a switch in the driver's console.[24] The design of TheBus's shaka is based on a shaka thrown by PresidentBarack Obama at the 2012 Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Gala.[23]
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In Hawaii, the shaka sign is known as "hang loose" and is popular in surfer culture.[5]
Australian men's mental health charity The Shaka Project uses the shaka sign in its merchandise and logo.[25]
There are severalemoticon representations of the shaka sign, including \, ,/, \m/, and \, ,_. The earliest known use of the first two, with three commas or a lower case "m" corresponding to a hand's three middle fingers, is from 2006.[26] The last, similar to the first except that it represents the thumb extended horizontally (as if perpendicular to the wrist) is reported, together with the first form, fromBrigham Young University in 2016.[27]
In May 2024, the Hawaii Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) introduced a specialty license plate featuring the shaka gesture as part of the state’s Nonprofit License Plate Program.[28][29] A portion of the proceeds from the annual registration fee supports ID8, a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes ideas and creative expressions with positive social impact.[30][31] According toSteve Sue, chairperson of ID8, the program is intended to "reduce road rage and increase aloha spirit".[29]
The sign has some similarities to theChinese number gesture for "six".
The sign can also be used to indicate the imbibing of a bottled drink, either alcoholic or non-alcoholic, as attested to below, by placing the thumb to the mouth and motioning the little finger upward as if tipping up a bottle's bottom end. A similar meaning can be achieved by pressing the thumb up against the tip of the nose with the little finger raised upwards parallel to the bridge of the nose. It is referred to as "schooies" in Australia (Australian slang for aschooner)[32][33]
With the thumb held near the ear and the little finger pointed at the mouth, the gesture is commonly understood to mimic thehandset of a traditionallandline telephone, and depending on context can be understood to stand for "call me", "I'll call you", or "let's talk on the phone".
The Unicode 9.0emoji🤙 "Call me hand"[34] can be interpreted as the shaka sign.
In New Zealand, the shaka sign is agang salute for theMongrel Mob, but is not commonly used for this purpose.[35] It can also serve as a greeting, meaning "Chur", which is a friendly gesture between friends, similar to in Hawaii where it is used in the same context.
A similar gesture was common among criminals in Vienna in 1935, accompanying the word of approval or appreciation "Leiwand".[36]
Since 2015, fans ofBrigham Young University (which has asatellite campus in Hawai'i and is also known colloquially as "the Y") have started using the gesture, in deference to newly hiredKalani Sitake, BYU's Polynesian head football coach, and because of its similarity with the letter Y in theAmerican manual alphabet in American Sign Language. It is also used as a nod of respect to Hamana Kalili, a native HawaiianLatter-day Saint who, according to locals, is the founder of the popular sign.[27]
In 2024, Filipino P-pop girl groupBINI became associated with the gesture when group memberSheena used it with the distinctive phrase,"Eyyy ka muna, eyyy".[37]
Hawaii drivers customarily throw shakas to other drivers who let them into a lane as a thank-you.
an innocently hedonistic call of American West Coast youth in the 1960s, Surf's up! : \,,,/ or \m/ Hang loose!
Australian Slang: schooner of beer
Australian Slang: schooner of beer
Media related toShaka sign at Wikimedia Commons