The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-12-29
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL.
Held at the Portueue sc Church
on Saturday Evening.

The Portuguese held their Christ
mas celebration in their little
church on Miller street on Christ
mas eve, and a most interesting
occasion it was.
The audience that filled the
little chapel and taxed to the ut
most its capacity for sitting and
standing room, was mostly COM
posed Of bright-looking, well-be-
haved boys and girls, with a gener-
Gus sprinkling Of adults of both
sexes.
The age Of the great majority of
the children was evidently that
suitable to the primary department
ola school.
The church has recently been
seated with pews from those form
erly in use at the old Fort Street
Church.
Under the skillful hands of Pas
tor Soares and his accomplished
wife, aided by considerable corps
of helpers, the edifce within had
with rare good taste been trans
formed into a bower of tropical lux
uriance, in which palms and ferns
from the sunny tropics occupied
larger place than did the ever
green's of the frozen north. But
the evergreen was there all the
same-thanks to Mr.. Emmeluth's
generosity-and saved the propri-
cites of the occasion by appearing
in the character of a real Christ
mas tree, which in due time flow
cred out with a full crop of lighted
tapers, fruits and knick-knacks for
the children.
a programme of exercises had
been prepared for the occasion by
the young ladies in charge of the
day school and the primary de-
partment of the Sabbath School,
consisting of songs and recitations
in English and Portuguese, chiefly
by the young folks.
Miss Winter, Of the Kawaiahao
School, presided with credit at the
(parlor) organ, and Mr.. David Ma
one held the baton as musical
director with great skill and eff
cheney.
The esprit and good taste shown
by the singers and reciters in carry
ing out their parts could not be
ascribed entirely to the careful
training given by Mrs. Soares and
her observation-disclosures evidence of
such training was abundant-but
argued a native talent for dramatic
effect which must have impressed
other spectators than the writer as
rather noticeable.
The Portuguese language, though
less sonorous and magnificent than
the Spanish tongue for oratory,
lends itself well to song, and is by
no means inferior as an instrument
of use for the orator.
After the formal programme had
been despatched, attention was
given to the Christmas tree and
the distribution of a large number
of parcels, many of which were
decorated with symbols in red,
which to some eyes had the same
pleasing effect as though the badges
of the ancient Crusaders and the
emblems of the modern Red-C Cross
Hospital had been pillaged and
parcelled out to meet the demands
of the occasion.
There were gifts for all-at any
rate for all the young folks; and if
there was no distribution of cake
and ice cream, no doubt the same
happy constitutional effects were
secured with equal efficiency by
the generous gifts of candies, fruit
and nuts, which the happy young
ones bore off in triumph.
When the exercises were over
the audience and visitors seemed
in no haste to depart, but fingered
for a moment to exchange antici-
patory greetings and congratula-
tons with Pastor and Mrs. Soares
and with each other.