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| A Mele Kalikimaka is celebrated by the crew of the Hōkūleʻa during its worldwide voyage in 2015. Photo by Jason Patterson/Polynesian Voyaging Society |
The phrase Mele Kalikimaka is the attempt to say "Merry Christmas" in the native language. Without letters such as "r" and "s" in the Hawaiian language, the written form became Mele Kalikimaka.
Mele Kalikimaka became popular beyond Hawaiʻi when Robert Alex Anderson put the words to music and created the song in 1949. Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, Don Ho, Bette Midler, and The Beach Boys all performed this now popular Christmas song. Listen to five versions of Mele Kalikimaka, from vocals to instrumental on marimba, posted by Hawaiʻi Magazine.
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WHEN DID CHRISTMAS COME TO HAWAIʻI? Some of the first mentions of Christmas came from ship captains who traveled to the Hawaiian Islands after their discovery by western explorer Capt. James Cook on Jan. 18, 1778. When Capt. George Dixon anchored the ship Queen Charlotte in Hawaiian waters on Dec. 25, 1786, he ordered his cooks to prepare a Christmas dinner, with pork, a pie and a bowl of punch. They fetched a pig from shore and roasted it. They made a spiked punch with coconut milk. In some story telling, the event is called Hawaiʻi's first Christmas.
Young Hawaiian men who found work leaving Hawaiʻi on sailing ships learned about Christmas. Among them was Henry Opukahaʻia, of Punaluʻu, who traveled in 1807 to New England on the Triumph and became one of the first Hawaiians to become a Christian. He experienced Christmas on the mainland, and encouraged missionaries to move to Hawaiʻi to set up schools and churches, and to
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| Henry Opukakaʻia |
The trading ships continued to bring glimpses of Christmas to Hawaiʻi. In 1817, a Christmas dinner was offered to Hawaiian chiefs who visited a sailing ship. The English crew took the feast to the shore on Christmas Day.
In 1819, English Capt. Nathaniel Portlock wrote: "Kiana came off in a long double canoe and brought me a present of some hogs and vegetables which I received gladly, and made in a return that pleased him very much." Since there was giving back and forth, this event has been called the first exchange of Christmas gifts in Hawaiʻi.
The first American missionaries arrived to Hawaiʻi on the ship Thaddeus on March 30, 1820. Hiram and Sybil Bingla, and Asa and Lucy Thurston, brought Christmas with them. The first English missionaries arrived in 1822. More missionaries followed, setting up churches and schools.
In 1824, Queen Kaʻahumanu was baptized and Christmas celebrations slowly entered the native culture. By the 1840s, The Polynesian newspaper printed Christmas messages. Schoolmasters noted that students talked about exchanging gifts.
By 1856, King Kamehameha IV, Alex Liholiho, had traveled to Europe, where he witnessed a Christmas celebration. He declared Dec. 25, 1856, a national day of Thanksgiving in Hawaiʻi. People from many backgrounds celebrated in their own ways and together.
The first Christmas tree and Santa Claus in Hawaiʻi are reported at a Christmas Eve party for youth held by Mary Dominis at Washington Place, the Hawaiian monarch's home in Honolulu.
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| Fireworks were one of the mainland festivities adopted by Hawaiians for Christmas. Photo by Julia Neal |
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THE SHUTDOWN OF 25 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT could last into January. On Fox News Sunday, Mick Mulvaney, set to become Pres. Donald Trump's Chief of Staff on Jan. 1, said, "it is very possible that the shutdown will go beyond the 28th and into the new Congress," which beings Jan. 3. He also promised that "no one is working without getting paid. Paychecks go out on the 28th. The next pay period that is impacted is January 11th."
Sen. Brian Schatz criticized the shutdown, which is a standoff between Pres. Donald Trump - to fund his proposed wall to keep out immigrants along the southern border of the U.S. mainland - and others in congress who oppose the wall.
Schatz tweeted, "All shutdowns are ridiculous, embarrassing, costly, and useless, but this is an especially stupid shutdown. It is just awful what we are doing to federal workers over Christmas. Our federal workers shouldn't suffer because the President and Republicans in Congress don't know how to govern. These workers keep our country running, and it's irresponsible and cruel to threaten their pay just before the holidays."
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| Kahuku Unit remains closed during the government shutdown. NPS photo |
The USDA will continue providing services like food inspections; pest inspections on imports and exports; Forest Service law enforcement and emergency/natural disaster response; nutrition assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and School Lunch; farm and farm loan payments. These and other services would "shut down in an orderly fashion" should the shutdown go beyond a week. Learn more at agriculture.com/news/business/how-does-a-government-shutdown-affect-the-usda.
The National Weather Service tweeted it "will continue to operate 24×7 through the government shutdown to provide reliable forecast and warning information. Our social media presence will remain as close to normal as possible, but posts/replies will only be directly related to forecasts and warnings." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will provide fisheries management, nautical safety for U.S. ports, patent and trademark application processing, export enforcement, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), and more. Learn more at commerce.gov/news/blog/2018/12/shutdown-due-lapse-congressional-appropriations.
KAʻŪ TROJANS BASKETBALL on Saturday was a flurry of hosting two JV games against Christian Liberty Academy, and one Varsity game against Parker.
JV Girls game was a disappointment, with Kaʻū scoring 17 to CLA's 40. Jayme Kaneshiro scored 5 points for the home team.
JV Boys trounced CLA, ending at 62 to 28. Keenan Toriano scored 16 of those points and Kealikoa Reyes Nalu scored 14.
Varsity Boys played a close game with Parker, scoring 41 to 36. Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley scored 10, while Andre Carvalho scored 9 for Kaʻū.
JV Girls game was a disappointment, with Kaʻū scoring 17 to CLA's 40. Jayme Kaneshiro scored 5 points for the home team.
JV Boys trounced CLA, ending at 62 to 28. Keenan Toriano scored 16 of those points and Kealikoa Reyes Nalu scored 14.
Varsity Boys played a close game with Parker, scoring 41 to 36. Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley scored 10, while Andre Carvalho scored 9 for Kaʻū.
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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.
Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes
throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com
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Kaʻū High Winter Sports Schedule
Girls Basketball:
Jan. 4, Fri., host Hilo 6pm
Jan. 7, Mon., @Honokaʻa, 6pm
Jan. 9, Wed., @Kamehameha, 6pm
Boys Basketball:
Dec. 27, Thu., @Kealakehe
Jan. 3, Thu., host Honokaʻa, 6pm
Jan. 5, Sat., @HPA, 6pm
Jan. 8, Tue., host Kamehameha, 6pm
Jan. 11, host Konawaena, 6pm
Wrestling:
Jan. 5, Sat., @Waiakea
Jan. 12, Sat., @Kealakeha
Soccer:
Dec. 29, Sat., @Kona
Jan. 3, Thu., Girls @HPA
Jan. 5, Sat., Boys host Kealakehe
Jan. 7, Mon., @Hilo
Jan. 9, Wed., @Keaʻau
Jan. 12, Sat., host Honokaʻa
Swimming:
Dec. 29, Sat., @Kamehameha, 10am
Jan. 5, Sat., @KCAC, 10am
Jan. 12, Sat., @Kamehameha, 10am
NEW and UPCOMING
JANUARY IS VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH, with US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory geologists giving presentations throughout the month at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park's After Dark in the Park program in the Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. On Tuesday, Jan. 8, starting at 7 p.m., USGS HVO geologist Carolyn Parcheta gives a presentation on Kīlauea Volcano's 2018 Lower East Rift Zone Eruption.
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| Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone fissure 8 vent and lava flow on July 13, 2018. Photo from USGS |
"Kīlauea Volcano's long-lasting East Rift Zone eruption changed abruptly when the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater floor collapsed on April 30, 2018, followed by an intrusion of magma downrift," states the event description on nps.gov.havo. On May 3, lava erupted in the Leilani Estates subdivision. Within two weeks, 24 fissures had opened along a 4.2-mile-long segment of the lower East Rift Zone. "Fissure 8 soon became the dominant vent, erupting a fast-moving channelized lava flow that reached the ocean, burying 13.7 square miles of land and destroying over 700 structures along the way," the description continues. Parcheta recounts the progression of this dramatic eruption and shares her experiences monitoring it during her presentation.
The free After Dark in the Park program is co-sponsored by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Donations help support park programs. Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 985-6011 or visit nps.gov/havo.
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 24
Christmas Eve Service, Mon., Dec. 24, Christmas Carols at 5pm, Service at 6pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Aloha hour after service. Bring a dish to share. 939-7000, stjudeshawaii.org
Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, Mon., Dec. 24, 7pm, Nā‘ālehu Methodist Church. Lessons and Carols service where Christmas story will be told, interspersed with Christmas carols. Everyone is welcome. 929-9949
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25
Christmas Day Buffet, Tue., Dec. 25, 4-7pm, Kīlauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Café, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Entrees: Prime Rib, Roast Turkey w/Stuffing, Holiday Lamb Stew. $28.95/Adult, $15.95/Child (6-11 yrs). KMC open to all patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, 967-8371
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26
Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wed., Dec. 26, 9-11am, St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years & older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i - referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org
How to Make Haupia - ‘Ike Hana No‘eau (Experience the Skillful Work), Wed., Dec. 26, 10-2pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Made from the pia root (arrowroot) and mixed with coconut milk or cream, then steamed, boiled or baked into a pudding, haupia is a popular and authentic cultural dessert. Free; park entrance fees apply. Co-sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27
Craft Class, Thu., Dec. 27, 9:30-10:30am, PARENTS, Inc., Nā‘ālehu. For keiki 2-12 years old and caregivers. Free. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org
Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thu., Dec. 27, 12-1:30pm, Punalu‘u Bake Shop. Monthly meeting provides local forum for all community members to come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple systems' issues for the benefit of all students, families, and communities. Chad Domingo, text 808-381-2584, domingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us
Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thu., Dec. 27, 4-6pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Additional packaged goods to take home - for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28
Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship, Sat., Dec. 29, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate guided hike along the Palm Trail, approx. 2 miles. Learn about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture, and observe the catastrophic change and restoration of the land as it transitions from the 1868 lava flow to deeper soils with more diversity and older flora. Free. nps.gov/havo
Christmas Eve Service, Mon., Dec. 24, Christmas Carols at 5pm, Service at 6pm, St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Aloha hour after service. Bring a dish to share. 939-7000, stjudeshawaii.org
Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, Mon., Dec. 24, 7pm, Nā‘ālehu Methodist Church. Lessons and Carols service where Christmas story will be told, interspersed with Christmas carols. Everyone is welcome. 929-9949
Christmas Day Buffet, Tue., Dec. 25, 4-7pm, Kīlauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Café, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Entrees: Prime Rib, Roast Turkey w/Stuffing, Holiday Lamb Stew. $28.95/Adult, $15.95/Child (6-11 yrs). KMC open to all patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, 967-8371
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26
Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wed., Dec. 26, 9-11am, St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years & older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i - referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org
How to Make Haupia - ‘Ike Hana No‘eau (Experience the Skillful Work), Wed., Dec. 26, 10-2pm, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Made from the pia root (arrowroot) and mixed with coconut milk or cream, then steamed, boiled or baked into a pudding, haupia is a popular and authentic cultural dessert. Free; park entrance fees apply. Co-sponsored by Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo
Craft Class, Thu., Dec. 27, 9:30-10:30am, PARENTS, Inc., Nā‘ālehu. For keiki 2-12 years old and caregivers. Free. 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org
Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thu., Dec. 27, 12-1:30pm, Punalu‘u Bake Shop. Monthly meeting provides local forum for all community members to come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple systems' issues for the benefit of all students, families, and communities. Chad Domingo, text 808-381-2584, domingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us
Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thu., Dec. 27, 4-6pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Additional packaged goods to take home - for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org
Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship, Sat., Dec. 29, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate guided hike along the Palm Trail, approx. 2 miles. Learn about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture, and observe the catastrophic change and restoration of the land as it transitions from the 1868 lava flow to deeper soils with more diversity and older flora. Free. nps.gov/havo
ONGOING
Substitute School Health Assistant Positions are available. Qualifications: CPR and First Aid certifications, and a high school diploma or equivalent. Training begins in 2019. Contact Kristy Loo for more at look@hkkk.k12.hi.us.
Christmas in the Country and 19th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibition are open at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘iVolcanoes National Park, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Christmas in the Country runs thro ugh Wednesday, Dec. 26. Enjoy an abundance of art and aloha as VAC creates a merry scene of an old-fashioned Christmas inside its 1877 historic building. In addition to artwork, find unique holiday offerings of island-inspired gifts, ornaments, and decorations made by Hawai‘i Island artists, including VAC exclusives.
The Wreath Exhibition is available through Tuesday, Jan. 1. The exhibition presents one-of-a-kind wreaths in a variety of imaginative media, techniques, and styles, from the whimsical to the traditional, with this year's theme of Home for the Holidays - inspired by the four month closure of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Admission is free; Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-8222, or visit volcanoartcenter.org.
Christmas in the Country and 19th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibition are open at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai‘i
The Wreath Exhibition is availabl
Admission is free; Park entrance fees apply. For more, call 967-8222, or visit volcanoartcenter.org.
Registration for P&R Boys & Girls, T-Ball/Coach Pitch Baseball League open through Jan. 16, Kahuku Park, H.OV.E. For ages 5-8. Programs run Jan. 22-Apr. 18, game and practice times tba. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
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