The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-08

Z grhe following has been written for
tAe Springfield Republican by Prof. r.
Al Hosracr:
up to eiShty-one years ago. when
the time came around for Christmas Ii
Hawaii there was no observance of the
day, because the people were in the
darkness of heathenism. But when in
1870 the American missionaries landed
on those shores they brought the good
tid.nSs of great joy, the news of what
the birth of Christ meant to the world
and they have had Christmas ever
since.
: The first thing that would seem
strange to you would be the warm
weather: IL is more like our Fourth of
July And then there is another re-
minder of the Fourth-the frecrackers.
On Christmas evening the boys COM
mence, and the racket continues till
long after shutdown on Christmas night
1t might be said of all the children
in Hawaii that, like Eugene Fields
good as they can be.
Now the little Hawaiian boys and
girls do not hang up their stockings
by the firesde on Christmas eve, prin-
cipaliy on account of two rea sons-frst,
because there are no firesides, and,
second. few wear stockings They sell
dom have shoes. l have heard OF a
family in which there was enc pair of
shoes-and they all-father, mother,
grown-up sister and two small boys
used to wear them The Hawaiian al
ways prefers squeaky shoes, for what
use are shoes if they do not make noise
enough for people to know you have
them on? On Sunday this family used
to rise early, dress up in their best
and that is not saying much-then
start for morning service, the father
leading, with one shoe under each arm
When near the church the old man was
accustomed to put on the shoes, and
while the rest of the family waited
outside he would gravely stalk in,
squeak his way up the aisle to his pew,
and sit down. Then he would quietly
slip off the shoes and drop them out
of the window, where his wife would
catch them Then she, too, would put
on the shoes, wear them up the aisle,
and hand them to her husband, who
threw them out to the daughter. Next
they were passed out to each boy in
turn. The last, who was a very little
fellow, had hard work to manage His
going up the aisle was a process. The
shoes would slip off and he had to go
back and get in again, but at last he
also arrived at the pew. After service
they all went out together.
The natives are accustomed to have
a big feast, or luau, on Christmas. All
day before they prepare Holes are
dug in the ground, in which fires are
these, at nightfall, they place the
meats, carefully dressed and wrapped
with green ii leaves. In one hole
would be a chicken; in another a fish;
in another a small pig, and in another
a nice fat dog. Like us. they are fond
of dogs, but in a different way. If
you go to Hawaii with a little pet dog, !
keep an eye on him. In the morning
they select a cool. shady place, and in |
the grass they set wooden bowls of
poi-a kind OF vegetable paste, of
which they are very fond-and all their !
cooked meats, with side dishes, such as !
yams, sweet potatoes, bread fruit, and !
also oranges. lemons, lines, bananas. /
pineapples and cocoanuts. The last are .
quite different from those we have here ,
because ours have been a long time
on the voyage. When they are fresh
the milk is sweet and pungent, like a /
glass of soda. The meat is not hard /
but 4 pulp, and can be eaten with
spoon. When cooled IN a refrigerator
or served with cracked ice. it tastes
like cocoanut ice cream.
Now If a Hawaiian has no money
and cannot provide feast of his own,
he goes with his family to some neigh
Dor who is more fortunate. and is al