The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-03-20
HAWAII, THE "PEARL
OF THE PACIFIC"
The Eighth of a Series OF
Letters by John r. Musick.
Author of THE Columbian His
tOrical Novels" brother
Against Brother" etc.
Copyright 1896, by Funk & WaLnals Company, New
York;
Hawaiian Holidays and How they
are Observed.

The Hawaiian holidays are twelve in
number, and are a strange mingling of
American, European, and Aslatlc civil and
religious observances. January 1st Is
holiday, being New Years day; January
18th is holiday, in celebration of the
downfall of monarchy; February 18th is
Chinese New Year; March 18th, Kane
hameha Day; July 4th, Birthday of the Re-
public and American Independence; No
vember 2Sth, Recognition Of Hawaiian In
dependence: Thanksgiving Day and Christ
mas. II all holidays are kept as Christmas,
the Hawaiians will not soon forget the sew
eral events they celebrate. -
left Kailaua on December %, 1895, on
the Inter-Island Steamer w. q: Hall, for
Honolulu. and was surprised to find the
steamer crowded with people of all posi-
Bile shades Of complexion and stations In
life. all bound for Honolulu to spend the
HOLIDAYS. The school teacher from Hawaii,
the clerk and plantation manager from
Maui, all boarded the hall for the capital
city. Quite gay party of fair and dark la
dies and gentlemen were assembled on the
deck of the steamer as she piled the waters,
and guitars and banjoS were brought out.
singing and instrumental music being the
order unit 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 ma
tives were bare-foOted, and so far as the
weather was concerned, there was no lndl-
cation whatever of Christmas. But the
shops displayed the usual amount OF CHRIST
mas toys, the churches were decorated with
Christmas trees. and it only lacked cold
weather and winter garb to make one sure
| it was Christmas indeed.
When evening came on L walked out on
| the streets and found them all brilliantly
| lighted up, and the shop men doing a
| thriving business. Fort street and Hotel
street and other principal streets, were
| thrOnged with men, women and children so
that one could scarcely squeeze his way
through. 1t almost reminded one OF -Four
teenth and Twentythird streets, New
| York, during the holiday trade.
| Shop windows were filled with toys,
trinkets and holiday presents, some dis
PLAYED with the most excellent taste. Ar
ticles of bright colOrs seemed to attract the
natives most. The Hawaiian loves the
beautiful, the gaudy. the brilliant. He
| does not always display the most approved
| of tastes in the selection OF cOlors, for blue
and pink, red and yellow arc 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
| saw "A great thrOng OF natives gathered III
front Of a confectionery shop on Fort street
who seemed to be greatly excited and talk
ing rapidly in their native language, the
object which was attracting their attention
being evidently on the sidewalk. One put
his finger forward as IL 20 touch some OBJ
iect and suddenly jerked 1t away again a:
II the creature was alive and had bitter
him. | pressed forward to get glimpse o.
the wonder and it proved to be-a large
snuare cake of ice. That ice attracted
more attention than anything on exhibition
that evening. In the center of 1t was froZer
some California fruit, and the natives stood
around it, occasionally touching IT witt
their fingers, until it melted entirely away
which was late in the night.
Christmas was celebrated here more a.
Fourth of July than Christmas. The Kan
naka boy does not know how to celebrate
If he cannot make noise, and hre-cracker
are his hearts delight. be discharges then
nv the bunch in imitation OF the Chinese
and NOT singly as the American boy does
Ali night long on Christmas Eve the fire
lcrackers were popping. and they continued
dnrin0 ali the next day. There were ser
vices In all the churches and Sunday school
similar 10 such services in the Uuited State
on Christmas day. The native churche
had their Christmas trees, the dlneren
American and the European churches thel
trees ahd appropriate ceremonies. IN
Chinese and japanese Christian churches
in imitation of their white brothers, ais
had Christmas trees and devotional sci
vices.
/ attended the Japanese M. f. churc
Christmas tree. The hall IN which the Sc
vices were conducted was beautifully deco
rated with a large fern tree In one corne