The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-12-25
An Early-Day Christmas in Hawaii

IF Father Damon, paternal ancesto
of Rev. Frank Damon and his brother
Samuel NJ. could come back to Homo
IuIu and read this issue of The AdyeI
tiser, particularly that portion whiel
refers to the doings on Fort street las
night he would certainly marvel a
the change that has come over tn
people-even his people-who wer
here working in the vineyard half
zcentury ago.
"a Christmas had little attention from
the early missionaries IN Honolulu
They were of the old Puritan stock AM
church holidays were, to them, more
than anything else. New Yea
was made more of in Massachusett
for two and half centuries after tn
arrival of the Mayfower," than wa
Christmas and the same sentimen
which dominated the early settlers O.
that section of the then. new Worl'
prevailed among their defendants Il
the South Seas.
Going back through the columns o.
The Friend, edited by the Rev. Samue
G. Damon. ''The Seaman's Chaplain,
the first reference to the day is foun'
in the issue of January l, 184S, writer
bv the editor, and is reproduced herr
in full:
Missionary Picnic.
AS holiday, Christmas is not
forgotten by the young and old
among the foreign residents OF Ho-
nolulu. The. late anniversary was
characterized by the usual visiting,
present giving and wishing a mer-
nv Christmas. AS a somewhat I'M
usual occurrence our missionary
friends observed the day IN the
way of a missionary picnic. We
should say it partook, rather, OF
a good old fashioned New Eng
land Thanksgiving than OF
church festival. The families re-
siding at Punahou invited their
missionary associates to pass the
day at that, the most delightful
spot in the envirous OF Honolulu.
On our way thither the missionary
flag was seen waving to the breeze.
Some of our readers may now learn
for the frst time that a white en-
:. sign is the missionary banner. Not
s. less than three score and ten chill
dren and youth were present, to-
gether with a score of older peo-
DIe. Within doors, the day was
spent in free and social intercourse
while without the merry sports Of
the young impaired animation to
the scene. The day was surpas-
singly lovely. Health, and mod
crate share of the good things of
this life, together with the con-
seriousness of not doing wrong by
temporary relaxation from the
sterner and rather monotonous
duty of missionary life, tended to
impart cheerfulness to the occa-
sion. How shall we speak of the
tastifullv arranged tables? If not
sumptuously they were generously
spread Every dish was served up
in the best style of good, Amer
lean, housewife cookery. We doubt
if the most fastidfous admirer OF
French cookery would have deelin-
ed a seat at table. Although the
respective families represented,
contributed GA share,' yet the
PunahOu families are especially
meritOrious.
The day was concluded with
religious services, when the hymns
and addresses distinctly recognized
the anniversary of our Savior's
birth. Such scenes are both pleas
ant in the enjoyment and the ret
respect They cali forth the social
and better feelings of our nature.
When properly conducted their in
fuence is most salutary and happy.
Changed Slowly.
4 That celebration, sixty-two years
ago, was. probably, as close to the
Puritan's idea of the way the day
should be observed as it has ever been
demonstrated here. Just how gradual
the change came about is not found IN
the volume of The Friend which Rev.
Frank Damon kindly loaned me. 1t Is
not to be suspected that there was a
spontaneous outburst of gayety. Nay,
nay. In those good old days, when the
Scotch covenanter considered 1t an evil
to sail boat on the Sabbath, the mis-
sionary colony in Honolulu followed so
closely in its religious beliefs and doc
trines those laid down by their New
England forebears that a sudden
breaking away would not have been
tolerated.
Christmas in Mission House.
Frank Cooke, who lived at the old
homestead on King street, tells me that
his memory carries him back fifty
years-a round half eentury-to the
Christmas days in that. the first frame
house ever erected in the Islands. In
those DAYS there were no Christmas
trees, and Thanksgiving was the day
most observed as a holiday among the
white residents.
He said the other day:
No Christmas Trees.
'fT do not remember seeing a Christ
mas tree in my very young days, but
Iaremember Christmas very well. We
children looked upon the day as the
one in all the year when we were to
give and receive presents, and I plain
ly remember hunting for my mother s
black stockings to hang below the
mantle. We borrowed hers because