Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
Ho ho ho! That's right, it is Christmas in Hawaii. As one of my friends pointed out, holiday songs in Hawaii are rather strange like "White Christmas" and "Let It Snow" since we don't have any snow and thus no white Christmas–unless you are on Haleakala. But that doesn't mean Hawaiians don't have our own songs for the holidays. Like "Mele Kalikimaka" which means "Merry Christmas" in Hawaiian. It was written by Hawaii-born Robert Alexander Anderson in 1949 and has been sung by numerous crooners of the great songbooks including Bing Crosby who first recorded it as a B-side in 1950. And the lyrics are quite appropriate to what Christmas is really like in Hawaii:
Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas" to you.
Unlike Manhattan where you can still get Christmas dinner at Shun Lee, just about every grocery store, restaurant, mall, and lei stand is closed (with the exception of Blockbuster and the movie theatres) on Christmas as ohana (for all you "Lilo and Stitch" fans) really is the spirit of Christmas. Everyone makes their local kine grinds (that's "food") and has a big gathering with their family. It is enough to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside if the weather doesn't do it for you.
My family, however, doesn't quite abide by those traditions. I've spent many Christmases at the movie theatre for a marathon of the lastest releases. I'm planning on a trip to Ward Centre to see "Cold Mountain" I've already seen "Return of the King" three times, so I guess I should try and spend my money on other flicks.
What is Christmas without Santa, brah? Yes, Santa arrived on Waikiki Beach this morning accompanied by hula girls in a canoe. How sexy is that? Adorned with leis and lavished with hugs and kisses, he came ashore to toss out candies and other goodies to the kids waiting for his arrival. Who needs snow and snuggling up to someone with hot chocolate when we have the vast cerulean Pacific Ocean washing onto our beaches and beautiful tan bikini-clad women and surfer men traipsing on the white sand?
I've yet to make it out to the beach to join my brown-skinned brothers and sisters as I blind them with my mainland whiteness, but tomorrow, I'll take the plunge and make it out to the beach for a post-Hawaiian Christmas day with my friends, a plate of sushi, and shave ice.
Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas" to you.
Unlike Manhattan where you can still get Christmas dinner at Shun Lee, just about every grocery store, restaurant, mall, and lei stand is closed (with the exception of Blockbuster and the movie theatres) on Christmas as ohana (for all you "Lilo and Stitch" fans) really is the spirit of Christmas. Everyone makes their local kine grinds (that's "food") and has a big gathering with their family. It is enough to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside if the weather doesn't do it for you.
My family, however, doesn't quite abide by those traditions. I've spent many Christmases at the movie theatre for a marathon of the lastest releases. I'm planning on a trip to Ward Centre to see "Cold Mountain" I've already seen "Return of the King" three times, so I guess I should try and spend my money on other flicks.
What is Christmas without Santa, brah? Yes, Santa arrived on Waikiki Beach this morning accompanied by hula girls in a canoe. How sexy is that? Adorned with leis and lavished with hugs and kisses, he came ashore to toss out candies and other goodies to the kids waiting for his arrival. Who needs snow and snuggling up to someone with hot chocolate when we have the vast cerulean Pacific Ocean washing onto our beaches and beautiful tan bikini-clad women and surfer men traipsing on the white sand?
Photo courtesy of Dennis Oda, Hawaii Star-Bulletin.
I've yet to make it out to the beach to join my brown-skinned brothers and sisters as I blind them with my mainland whiteness, but tomorrow, I'll take the plunge and make it out to the beach for a post-Hawaiian Christmas day with my friends, a plate of sushi, and shave ice.
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