Once a month I teach Hawaiian Hula dancing and I often get at least one person in the class who thinks we are doing hula hooping! so here’s a very short little run down:
The hula hoop, although it wasn't originally called that, started as a circle of willow, rattan, grapevines strung together. No one knows for sure exactly when it was invented, but we do know that Egyptian children played with these types of hoops and whirled them around their waist.
In 14th century Great Britain, the term "hula hoop" came into existence because British sailors who had seen hula dancing in the Hawaiian Islands thought it looked similar to the movements of hooping back home. Hula hoops upgraded to lighter plastic models from the 1950's were trademarked with the name "Hula Hoop" in the United States.
