The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-04-04
HAWAII THE PEARL OF THEPAC1FIC.
Hawriian Holidays and How They are
Observed.

Hawriian Holidays and How They are
Observed.
Copyright, 1896. by Funk l. Wagnalls Co.. N.Y.
The Hawlian holidays are twelve in
number, and are a strange mingling Of
American, European, and Asiatic civil
and religious observances. January LIST
is q holiday, being New Years day; jan
ualy 18th is holiday, in celebration of
the downfall Of monarchy; February 18th
is chinese New Year: March II, KAN
ehameha Ills. birthday; Good Friday;
May oath. birthday of the Queen Victor.
ia; May 30th, Decoration Day; June 18th
Kamehameha Day; July 4th, Birthday
of the Republic and American indepen-
dence; November 2sth, Recognition Of
Hawaiian Independence; Thanksgiving
Day and Christmas. II all holidays are
kept as Christmas, the Hawaiian will
not soon forget the several events they
celebrate. T.: .
I left Kailaua on December %, 1885, on
the Inter-Island Steamer W. q. Hall, for
Homo ulu, and was surprised to find the
steamer crouded with people Of all pos
sible shades of complexion and stations
in life, all bound for Honolulu to spend
the holidays. The school teacher from
Hawaii, the clerk and plan tation man.
ager 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, aud guitars and
banjos were brought out, singing and
instrumental music being 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 bare-footed, and, so far as
the water was concerned, there was no
indication whatever of Christmas. But
the shops displayed the usual amount of
Christmas toys, the churches were dec
Grated with Christmas trees, and it only
lacked cold weather and winter garb to
make one sure it was Christmas indeed.
When evening came on I walked out
ON the streets and found them all bril-
liantly lighted up, and the shop men do
ing thriving business. Fort street and
Hotel street, and other principal streets,
were thronRed with men, women, and
children, SO that one could scarcely
squeeze his way drought. It almost
reminded one Of Fourteenth and Twenty
third streets, New York, during the
holiday trade.
I Shop windows we're filed with toys,
trinkets, and holiday presents, some dis
played with the most excellent taste.
Articles OF bright colore seemed to attract
the natives most. The Hawaiian loves
the beautiful, the audy. the brilliant.
He does not always display the most. APP
proved of 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 great throng of ma
tives gathered in front of a confection-
airy shop on Fort street, who seemed to
be greatly excited and talking rapidly in
their native language, the object which
was attracting their attention being evil
IDENTIFY on the sidewalk. One put his.
finger forward as if to touch some object
and suddenly jerked it away again as it
the creature was aliv and had bitten
him. I pressed forward to get glimpse
of the wonder and it proved to be-a
large square cake of ice. That ice at
tracted more attention than anything on
exhibition that evening. In the center
OF it was frozen some California fruit,
and the natives stood around it. occasion.
ally 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.
ton of the Chinese, and not singly as the
American boy does. All night long on
Christmas Eve the firecrackers were pop.
ping 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 churches
had their Christmas trees, the differen,
American and the European churches
their trees and appropriate ceremonies
The Chinese and Japanese Christian
churches, in imitation of their white
brethern, also had Christmas trees and
devotional services.
attended the japanese NJ. E. Church
Christmas tree. The hall in which the
services were conducted was beautifully