I took this photo of Hawaii’s motto at the gates of the Iolani Palace in Honolulu. It says, “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono” which literally translates to “the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” This motto was further explained to me to mean “to do what is right in your life and for the land.” That’s a great motto, isn’t it?
Here’s a list of all the state’s mottos:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_mottos
Hawaii’s motto is my favorite.
@ Hawaii Tours – It’s a good one for sure. I also like my home state of NC’s motto – “Esse quam videri” which is Latin for “to be rather than to seem”. To me that means, be sincere, be transparent, be ethical, be hard working, which are all traits that I admire.
It was originally 3 more words, meaning, “in Jesus Christ” which was later taken off for unknown reasons.