Mai hilahila
(don't be bashful). Hele
on over, make yourself at home, join the ohana (family) on the lanai. We'll have a little plate lunch (or a lot), tune up
the uke, make some music and some friends, and have a good time.
"Jus add yoah slippahs to da pile..."
(It is customary in Hawai`i to remove your shoes before you enter someone's house, and there is often quite a pile
at the door.)
"Nau
wale no" (Just for you)
The words "Mele Kalikimaka"
are a phonetic translation. When the missionaries and other Westerners first brought the custom of Christmas to
the islands the Hawaiians had difficulty pronouncing Merry Christmas and turned it into words that rolled more
easily off their tongues. (We're glad they did, because it rolls easily off our tongues today, too!)
Santa
shows up in Hawai'i in a bright red outrigger canoe,
(a magic one of course) which carries him across the wide sea and right up onto the beach. Since Hawai'i only gets
snow on top of the highest mountains (which are volcanoes!) on the Big Island and Maui, sleighs aren't much use
and the reindeer get to take a little rest while deliveries are being made in the Islands.
You can find out about how Hawai'i decorates
its trees at this wonderful link: O da kine Christmas Tree
The Hawaiians didn't celebrate Christmas prior to the arrival of Europeans, but it was during this same time of
the year that they traditionally honored the earth for giving them plenty to eat. This period of resting and feasting
was called Makahiki (mah-kah-HEE- kee). It lasted for 4 months, and no wars or conflicts
were allowed during this time. (Because makahiki also means "year", we say "Happy New Year"
as "Hau'oli Makahiki Hou" [how-OH-lee mah-kah-hee-kee ho]). After the Hawaiians
embraced Christianity it was only natural that they adapted some of the traditions of Makahiki to the celebration
of Christmas, and as the years passed many other cultures arriving in Hawai'i added some of their own twists. So
today, along with the candy and fruitcake, you'll be likely to find treats like the following served alongside
the turkey:
(Manapua are sweet, tender steamed rolls usually
filled with chicken or pork; poke is the Hawaiian version of ceviche, bits of very fresh fish or shellfish usually
marinated in soy sauce (shoyu), sesame oil, a little rice vinegar and various spices.)
Sometimes (for the lucky ones) Christmas dinner consists of a backyard lu'au, complete with a pig roasted in an
underground pit called an imu (eemu), chicken
long rice (chicken noodle soup, Hawaiian
style), lomilomi salmon, and poi. You can see the smoke rising from imus all
over the island, as family and friends gather for the occasion at the home of whoever has the biggest yard.
An informal get-together, this could maybe more
accurately be called a kanikapila (kah-nee-kah-PEE-lah), which means "to make music". You'd be hard pressed in Hawai`i to find any informal party that didn't include
singing, guitars, ukuleles (oo-koo-LEH-leh, not yookoolehleh), and probably some impromptu hula as well!
Here's what a kanikapila looks and sounds like:
"Buddy Fo leads a group of us through
a well known Hawaiian tune. Conga drums by his wife Sammi, Hawaiian lap steel ala Claude Langlois, and Brian on
trumpet... what a cool vintage sound! Thanks to Dennis and Nancy for getting us all together for a little kanikapila.
A less compressed version is available on http://www.konawalkingbass.com"
Our Christmas songs include the traditional ones, often sung in the beautiful and melodic Hawaiian language, as
well as many that are completely original to Hawai'i-- such as Mele
Kalikimaka, of course.
After the meal? Well, if we can still move we'll probably go down to the beach to watch the kids trying out the
new surf or boogie boards that Santa brought them for Christmas. Join us, won't you?
You
know you're celebrating Christmas in Hawai`i when: It's your slippers and sandals
you leave at the door, not your snow boots. Click
here for More...
You
know you're celebrating Christmas in Hawai`i when: