Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Mele Kalikimaka

Most of all offices in North America seems to Bing Crosby chestnut "White Christmas" playing in this time of year. But in Hawaii, where the only white Christmas is the sand of Waikiki to hear more of another classic Crosby, which is to this letter:
Mele Kalikimaka is the thing in a bright Hawaiian Christmas say
It's the island greeting that we send you the land where palm trees sway
We know that Christmas is green and bright
The sun shines by day and stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you.
Mele Kalikimaka captures the spirit of Christmas in the islands - an attempt to warm, happy for people on a Pacific island to be an Americanized holiday full of symbols from the snow with patches of the northern European tradition.
There is an old joke that there are two seasons in Hawaii - Summer and Christmas. But how many of the world, Hawaii is crazy happy holidays, once the last to go Halloween pumpkins in the compost.
The end of the year is one of my favorite times to travel, to Hawaii. Air fares are low in early December, and it is time for the big wave surf contest on the North Shore of Oahu and Maui. This year I went to the Big Iceland and Oahu.
They beat me with the spirit of Christmas, island style, on the first morning in Hilo. I stopped a few macadamia nut pancakes at Ken's House of Pancakes and was welcomed by Wilma Kuamoo waitress, a Santa cap with fake pine needles, and bells was fastened their shoes.
"Christmas is a time of family fun," said Kuamoo. "I'm 65, but not remove them. I have 13 grandchildren. Who would not buy all the presents?"
Hawaiian Kuamoo taken for Christmas and gave him a nod and a wink.
It begins with a Hawaiian version of the traditional greeting. Hawaiians say: Mele Kalikimaka, "a phonetic approximation of" Merry Christmas "greetings from early explorers and Christian missionaries in the 18th Century where
Then there is the version of Santa Claus and his wife exposed in the center of Honolulu.
Santa looks suspicious, "hang" the sun, casting a thumb and index finger Hawaii Shaka signs, showing open red shirt with white skin for a tan belly fat decorated. The statue of St. Nick is sitting next to a large tropical "Tutu Mele" - "Happy Grandma" that Mrs. Claus called - who raised his skirt to a fresh wind trafficking.
In downtown Honolulu, the hand of the King Kamehameha extends, apparently to a great sign of a great stay in a nearby building point. Colored lights illuminate the banyan and monkey pod trees. Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki, Hawaiian shirt or muu muu-other, the traditional white, red and tropical. What looks like a Christmas tree later in the Kahala Mall is actually a ring of iron cone support for dozens of tropical red poinsettia pot.
Other rules get a makeover rent mele. A local version of "The Night Before Christmas" Santa Claus Call replaced "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night" to "Merry Christmas, so that cows, Aloha Hawaii!" There are Hawaiian version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" makes all donations to the eccentrically as strange things in Hawaii, using the "partridge in a pear tree" to a completed form, "Starling in a papaya." In some storybooks, Santa arrives by boat, or a sleigh pulled by dolphins instead of reindeer.
There are some places, the Hawaiians and visitors to the Christmas approaching on the continent. The Lodge at Koele in Lanai Pines has the feeling of a modern version of "Holiday Inn" Hotel. Kula on the slopes of Haleakala on Maui is a place where roaring fire is not only an invitation to sweat. The Big Iceland of snow on the distant summit of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. It is possible, the slopes of snow pellets in skyscrapers, where the drive to perfection ski.
One of my favorite places is the rental of chalets in a military recreation center in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park you can use the 50s in many evenings in December, one of the reasons why the rooms are booked well before each holiday and was reached decorated with Christmas lights.
I prefer to work with the flow going to the beach. In most islands, the traditional Christmas atmosphere can be felt anywhere. Is about 80 degrees during the day. No need to roast chestnuts out of the wood stove - as some aluminum foil on a chair on the beach.
But the foundations of the party are universal, regardless of the thermometer. Sunny Garcia, the legendary surfers from Oahu, the time in recent years split between the islands and the Orange County, told me years ago that was the perfect time for the holidays was just at the height of North Shore surf season.
"Christmas is a special moment because after a year traveling the world is when I get home."
If You Go:
DESIGN: Christmas decorations on display throughout Hawaii, but most major events have already taken place. If you are planning a trip in 2011, visit the Hawaii Visitors and Convention for the dates of events such as the lighting of the Banyan Tree in Lahaina, Maui, Kailua-Kona Christmas Parade on the Big Iceland, and the Christmas Festival Hanapepe Kauai. There are dozens of other events with a wide range of interests: music festivals, craft fairs, tree lights, parades and festivals.
For general information about Hawaii, visit the official state tourism or call gohawaii.com 800-GOHAWAII.
HONOLULU Festival of Lights: The event runs until the end of the year. Christmas tree stand 50 feet in front of Honolulu Hale City Hall. The subject of Hawaii, and Mrs. Santa Claus in the vicinity. The trees in the center of the city are wrapped in lights. P. 530 King St. Call 808-523-4385 or visit gohawaii.com for more information.
Hall Decorations: The main tourist centers perform holiday finery. Islands stations do a good job, but the best examples are in Honolulu. The decor in the Moana Surfrider (2365 Kalakaua Avenue), Royal Hawaiian (2259 Kalakaua Avenue) and Kahala (5000 Kahala Ave.) Are my favorites.

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