So many of our friends on the U.S. Mainland ask if we celebrate the holiday season in Hawaii. The perception is that since we’re on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it can’t possibly feel like Christmas – the truth is that it’s pretty much the same in Honolulu as it is in every major city and small town in the country, complete with professional performances of The Nutcracker – except we have some local traditions that are uniquely Hawaii.
First of all, Santa does not come down chimneys in Hawaii – not a lot of homes in Hawaii have chimneys and those that do are generally in the cooler mountain areas of the Islands. Santa arrives in Honolulu by outrigger canoe – coming on shore at the beach in Waikiki. Speaking of beaches, we may not have snow to make snowmen and snowwomen, but we do have sand. During the holiday season, on any of our beautiful beaches, you might catch a glimpse of Sand–a Claus and sandwomen and sandmen, along with other sand sculptures before the waves and/or tide wash them away.
Honolulu’s city lights are a sight to see just like other cities’ holiday lights and decorations, but here we get to see them from an open-air trolley as we sing Christmas Carols in our drive by. The Waikiki Trolley provides these fun nightly rides throughout December.
Shaka Santa and Mrs. Claus and the beautifully decorated and lighted Christmas tree front Honolulu Hale (city hall) with Shaka Santa and the Mrs. dipping their toes in the fountain.
Another Santa creation that signals the start of holiday shopping is the huge Santa atop Ala Moana Shopping Center – the largest open-air shopping center in the world. Of course, each major shopping mall on Oahu from Ala Moana to Pearlridge to Windward and Kahala all have their own live Santa Claus to hold children on their laps and have photos taken with each little boy and girl. Shopping for gifts for the holidays starts on Black Friday with shoppers at most of the big-box and discount stores sleeping off their turkey dinners in the lineup outside the stores waiting to be first in line for the big sales of huge TV screens.
The Polynesian Cultural Center on the North Shore in Laie invites all to its Christmas at Hukilau Marketplace – the free holiday festivities include Santa, brilliantly lighted Christmas trees, train rides for keiki (children), live nativity performances, and Winter Wonderland Snow Days. If it gets chilly enough (that would most likely be around 67 degrees at night) the Hukilau Marketplace turns into a winter wonderland with real snow – Hawaii style.
Christmas Craft Fairs are a big deal in Hawaii. The Fairs are held at schools, churches, parks, and shopping malls throughout the month of December. Actually, they kick off in October for the really early shoppers. Communities all across Oahu: Mililani, Wahiawa, Kailua, Kaneohe, Waipio Gentry, Moanalua, Aiea, Ewa Beach, Sunset Beach, Aina Haina, and Waikiki draw people to the amazing arts and crafts made here in Hawaii. You’re sure to find the perfect gift for that special someone at one of these craft fairs.
And Christmas parades are also a favorite of communities throughout the Islands. No less than 21 parades during December light up the holiday scenes in neighborhoods as diverse as Kaneohe and Kaimuki or Haleiwa and Waimanalo. Along with the parades, individual communities, neighborhoods, streets, and homeowners take their holiday decorations seriously. Thousands of colorful, twinkling lights and movable decorations and fantasy scenes can be found on three cul-de-sacs in Mililani; computerized light shows amaze at several houses on Anapau Place in Waikele. People from all over the Island come to see this annual show. In Kaneohe, the street to find is Namoku Street that is transformed into Christmas Lane. Ewa Beach displays Da Ohana Christmas Light Show (Kapolei Parkway). On the other side of the Island, Hawaii Kai’s Candy Cane Lane in Mariner’s Village 2 is not to be outdone, although the folks at 1170 Akumu Street in Kailua have been putting on a Christmas light show (10,000 lights) synchronized to Christmas music for more than 30 years. Another must-see is the Kailiuli Christmas Spectacular in upper Makakilo for a nightly 13-song light show.
For the serious side of Christmas, across from Honolulu Hale is historic Kawaiaha’o Church. The Church was dedicated in 1842. King Kamehameha III led 5,000 worshipers in the dedication of this great stone church. The Church of the Alii (Hawaiian royalty), often referred to as the Westminster Abbey of the Pacific, holds traditional Christmas services with its candlelight service at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Before church services, those of us who are football fans can watch the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve at 3:30 p.m. at Aloha Stadium. This year it is the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Sheraton manages several hotels in Waikiki and if you are not into football, then join the rest of us who like to stroll from hotel to hotel along Kalakaua Avenue to see the lobbies decked in their fantastic finery for the holidays including some of the most intricate decorations you have ever seen!
The culmination of this month of festivities is New Year’s Eve when we can watch fireworks from the beach or the Great Lawn at Hilton Hawaiian Village, or at Ko Olina or, if those in our neighborhood bought a permit, it will be firecrackers for hours and the occasional “bomb” shaking our house. And, if several of the neighbors get together, the street will be filled with smoke from all the firecrackers. We won’t be able to hear our TV or breathe clean air for several hours until our trade winds pick up a little and blow it all out to sea.
It’s tradition, Hawaii-style! Mele Kalikimaka and Hauoli Makahiki Hou!