The record-union., 1896-03-05
HAWAII, THE PEARL OF THE
PACIFIC
The Eighth Of a Series Of Letters by
John R. MuSiGk.
Hawaiian Holidays and How They
Are Observed in Homo
lulu.

fCcpyright. 1896, by Funk q Wagnalls
Company, New York;
The Hawaiian no idays are twelve
In number, and are a strange mingling
of European and Asiatic civil and re-
ligious observances. January 1st is a
holiday. being New Years Day;
January 18th is a holiday, in
celebration of the downfall Of
monarchy; February 18th is Chi
nese New Year; March 18th, Kameha-
rneha IT'S birthday; Good Friday; May
24th, birthday of Queen Victoria; May
Both, Decoration Day; June l1th, Ka-
znehameha Day; July 4th, birthday OF
the Republic and American Independ-
ence: November 2Sth, Recognition OF
Hawaiian Independence; Thanksgiving
Day and Christmas. If all holidays are
kept as Christmas, the Hawaiians Will
not soon forget the several events they
celebrate.
I left Kailaua on December %. 30,
on the Interisland steamer w. G. Hall,
for Honolulu, and was surprised to ind
the steamer crowded with people OF all
possible shades of complexion and sta
tions in life. all bound for Honolulu to
spend the holidays The school teach
er from Hawaii, the clerk and planta-
ton manager from Maui, all boarded
the Hall for the capital CITY, Quite
gay party of fair and dark ladies and
gentlemen were assembled on the deck
of the steamer as she piled the waters,
and guitars and banjoes were brought
cut, singing and instrumental music be
ing the order until late hour.
BY daylight on the Oath we were at
the dock in Honolulu. The day was as
warm as one in July. Men went about
in white duck suits and straw hats,
many of the natives were barefooted,
and. so far as the weather was con-
cerned, there was no Indication what
ever of Christmas But the shops dis
PLAYED the usual amount of Christmas
TOYS. the churches were decorated with
Christmas trees, and it only lacked cola
weather and winter garb to make one
sure it was Christmas indeed.
When evening came l walked out
on the streets and found them all Drill
iantly lighted up, and the shopmen 40
ing a thriving business. Fort street
and Hotel street, and other principal
streets were thronged with men, Wo-
men and children, so that one could
scarcely squeeze his way through IL
almost reminded me of Fourteenth ana
Twenty-third streets, New York, DUR
ing the holiday trade
Shop windows were filed with toys,
trinkets and holiday presents, some dis
played with the most excellent taste.
Articles of bright colors seemed to at
tract the natives most. The Hawaiian
loves the beautiful, the saudy,th the Drill
liant He does not always display the
most approved tastes in the selection OF
colors, for blue and pink, red and yellow
are liable to be mingled promiscuously
in the makeup of his or her dress.
An incident attracted my attention
which will illustrate what it is to be in
a tropical country during the Christmas
holidays 1 saw a great throng Of ma
tives gathered in front Of a confection-
cry shop on Front street, who seemed to
be greatly excited and talking rapidly
in their native language, the object
which was attracting there attention
being evidently on the sidewalk. one
put his finger forward as if to touch
some object and Suddenly jerked 1T
away again as if the creature was alive
and had bitten him. l pressed forward
to get a glimpse of the wonder, and 1t
proved to be-a large square cake of ice.
That ice attracted more attention than
anything on exhibition that evening.
In the center of it was frozen some Cali
fornia fruit, and the natives stood
around it, occasionally touching it with
their fingers, until it melted entirely
away, which was late in the night.
Christmas was celebrated here more
as Fourth of July than Christmas. The
Kanaka boy does not know how to cele-
brate if he cannot make a noise, and
firecrackers are his hearts delight. He
discharges them by the bunch in imita-
tion of the Chinese, and not singly as
the American boy does. Al night long
on Christmas Eve the firecrackers were
popping, and they continued during all
the next day. There were services in
all the churches and Sunday-schools
similar to such services in the United
States on Christmas Day. The native