Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-03-29
PHASES OF HAWAIIAN LIFE.
Last Few Years Have Brough
Many Changes.
EVER POPULAR LUAU.
Use of Knives and Forks Considered
Bad Form-Etiquette
of L.Sis.


waiian Owing TO mis- great good nature,
he has submitted gracefully to the in.
cvitable and adapted himself to the new
order of things. He has forsaken the
gods of his fathers and learned to dress
himself in white duck on Sunday and to
go to a church which boasts a pipe-or-
gan and a choir. He visits the school Oh
Washingtcns birthday and listens re-
spectfully while his children read the
Ratchet story aid speak patriotic pieces.
His daughters have acquired n taste fol
ice-cream soda and study the fashion
page in the Ladies' Home Journal.
But in the matter of entertaining, he
shows a very conservative spirit. He re-
CARDS with good-natured tolerance the
chatting dish achievements and pink teas
of his 'haole " neighbOrs. but when he
wishes to discharge his social obligations.
he gives Il ''luau' as his fathers did be-
before him and serves poi in u Gala
bash.
The Luau a Social Function.
The luau is the only socIal function in
which the Hawaiian expresses his hos
pltable thoughts. 1t suits all occasions
from wedding to a burial. Custom has
never stalled it for it is as popular today
as 1t was in the days of Capt. Cook No
visitor is i'll Il fit state for departure
from the islands until he has looked into
the burning crater of kilauea and sal
down to luau. Social leaders among
the foreign population have shown their
approval of the luau, and have helped
greatly 10 demonstrate its possibilities,
From a savage feast to social event
seems FAR cry, but luau can be either
without losing its characteristic features.
There are luaus where print h0lokus and
bare feet are in order, and others where
the guests appear in Paris gowns and
hhp NJ. L., a..
highly interesting commngling of the
barbarous and civilized in the costumes
and characters of the guests.
SeVefai weeks after the marriage of |
ne charming kaumaka Kealakakua to !
Tom White the brides mother gave a
poSt-nuptial luau which caused the Civ |
ers of orthodox receptions and colored |
teas to hide their diminished rays.
Inc elite Of the islands to the number |
OF 500 were inyted-the chocolate-cOl- |
ored, the white and the half white, not |
TO mention those who We're yellow-like |
their grandfathers from the Celestial en- |
pre-. Her majesty, the ex-Quccn, with |
an imposing suite, was present and gra-
poi.
As for the costumes, they were a reve-
lat1on to the unsophisticated foreigner,
and the misguided tourist who came in |
a bicycle suit went home early. n sadder |
but a wiser man. The dusky little bride
wore gown of white chiffon embroid-
cred in silver. Her mother was an inn
posing and dignited hostess in u hol0ku
of the richest satin brocade 4 holoku,
be 1t understood, is the characteristic
dress of the Hawaiian woman, being a
cross between the Mother Hubbard and
the Empire gown.
Wreaths of Flowers.
After formal reception, given with
for -. 4
attendants brought in great
masses of 'leis," or long wreaths of /
bowers, an indispensable feature of eY-
ny luau. These were presented to the
quests, who complied with rules of native
etiquette by draping them about their
shoulders, though the whiting flowers
wrought sad havoc with dainty laces and
shirt fronts.
This ceremony over, the guests filed |
INTO large pavilion, brilliant with many
eolored electric lights, and built for the
occasion close to the cottage of the host
ass. Fathoms of fishnct IN which vines
and ferns were woven, formed the walls. /
Along the sides and down the center ta-
lles With accompanying benches were ar
ranged as concession to the ladies', who
with their sweeping skirts might justly |
have protested against squatting around |
1 feast spread on n mat. AT many luaus |
The tables are raised only a foot or so
from the floor, and under these the |
guests dispose Of their feet as well as
hey can.
The tables were covered with heavy
white muslin which was completely con
cealed under 4 layer of beautiful ferns
and flowers. There Was plate for each
guest. hut there were no knives, forks
nor spoons. These are bad form ut n
uau, and guests are expected To rely |
solely upon the uimblenesS of their i'm
gers, be these white or brown.
When the guests were seated the mt
sic ceased at a sign from the hostess,
md native pastor said grace. as is the
nvariable custom ut Hawaiian feasts
Then an attendant appeared at each Ia
ole bearing a calabaSh of water and a
owel. These were passed and each
guest washed his right hand and pre-
pared to pay his respects to the good
Kings before him.
Around each plate were arranged
great number Of little dishes and Gala
lashes. In these was served bit of
.verything that the islands aud the ad
iacent waters can yield in the way of
food. There was 1.-THE abundance of the
seas and the treasures hidden in the
sand, some daintics far from agreeable
to unaccustoned palates.
The Inc vitable Poi.
There was the inevitable poi, roast pig.
roast fowl baked sweet potatoes, opihiis
lieu of almonds, rapalas, mangoeS, CO.
coanuts. fresh and in buildings; fish, raw |
and baked; shrmps, animate and inani- |
mate, wanna. or seawecd compared with |
which gall is not bitter-but the half can |
never be told All this was generously |
spread on the tables ut once, leaving the |
order OF attack to the pleasure Of the |
guests. The most valiant addressed |
themselves to the shrimps that had |
scrambled ont of calabash in the cen
ter of the table and were making Il des-
perate effort to escape. They were van
quished utterly and dispatched without
seasoning; six of them falling before the
onslaught of robust coed from Berkc
Is. She had patrOnizCd maus for year
and half and had lost much of her
sQueamiShness. But even she became
humble when it came to eating poi for
none except those hoasting mt least a
tiny rill of Kanaka blood can hope with
unaided fingers to eat poi with clearly
circumstances.
Poi is a thick, gray paste looking like
that which the paperhanCer uses and
looking like sour dough. 1t is made from
the nutritious root OF the tarO plant and
forms the natives staff of life. The
cueSt who is to the manner born dipS