St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-03-06

Downright, 1895, Dy RUM q ""b""''
Company, New York
The Hawaiian holidays are twelve
in number, and are strange ming
ling of American, European and
Asiatic civil and religious observ-
ances. January 1st is a holiday
being New Years day; January l7th
is a holiday, in celebration OF the
downfall of monarchy; February
10Th is Chinese New Year; March
17th, Kamehameha IlIs birthday;
Good Friday; May 24th, birthday
Of Queen Victoria; May 30th, Decora-
ton day; June 18th, Kamehameha
day July 4th, birthday of the Repuh'
lie and American independence {;
November 2Sth, Recognition OF
Hawaiian Independence; Thanksgiv.
ing day and Christmas. II all holl-
days are kept as Christmas, the
Hawaiians will not soon forget the
several events they celebrate.
| left Kailaua on December %,
1895, on the Inter-IsIand steamer W..
G. Hall, for Honolulu, and was sur
prised to find the steamer crowded
with people Of all possible shades OF
complexion and stations in life, all
bound for Honolulu to spend the
holidays.
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 concerned, there was
no indication whatever of Christmas.
But the shops displayed the usual
amount of Christmas toys, the
churches were decorated with Christ
mas trees, and it only lacked cold
weather and winter garb to make
one sure it was Christmas indeed.
When evening came | walked out
on the streets and found them all
brilliantly lighted up, and the shop
men doing 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 oil
Fourteentha and Twenty.third streets
New York, during the holiday trade
Shop windows were filled with
TOYS, trinkets, and holiday presents
some displayed with the most excel
lent taste. Articles of bright coIors
seemed to attract the natives most
The Hawaiian loves the beautiful
the gaudy, the brilliant. He does
not always display the most APP
proved OF tastes in the selection o
colors. for blue and pink, red anC
yellow are liable to be mingled
promiscuously in the makeup of hi
or her dress.
Christmas was celebrated her,
more as Fourth of July than Christ
mas. The Kanaka boy does no
know how to celebrate if he canno
make noise, and hrecrackers arr
his hearts delight. He discharge
them by the bunch in imitation o
the Chinese, and not singly as tn
American boy does. All night long Oh
Christmas eve the hrecrackers wer
popping, and they continued durlni
all the next day. There were services il
all the churches and Sunday School
similar to such services in the Unite,
States on Christmas day. The ma
tive churches had their Christina
trees, the different American and tn
European churches their trees an
appropriate ceremonies. The CHI
nese and Japanese Christian churcbe:
in imitation of their white brother.
also had Christmas trees and devt
tional services.
l attended the japanese M, I
church Christina tree. The hall i
which the services were conducte
was beautifully decorated with
= large fern tree in one corner, orr;
S mented with candles and tinsel pi
= per, and loaded with pretty present
r The entertainment began by singin
, by the Japanese. The music was fl
miliar but the words were not. The
= one OF the japanese workers read
. chapter from the Bible in his ow
Y language. This was followed /
d prayer, an opening address, hym
h Yes, Jesus Loves Me-" by sew,
g japanese boys; this followed by rec
:, tations in Japanese and English |
70 several little boys. H. Nakano,
~ boy not over twelve or fourte,
wears of age, delivered an address
English to the Americans preser
{" which might have done credit to o
much more advanced in years.
II After the benediction came the pr
T. sentaton OF gifts. This was nov