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The festival of Christmas unfortunately did not exist for the Hawaiians before the entry of the Europeans. However, it was almost at a coinciding time with Christmas, that Hawaiians held celebrations to pay respect to mother Earth for providing them with plenitude of food and sustenance. This span of time for feting and feasting was known by the name of 'Makahiki', pronounced as 'mah-kah-HEE-kee'. As 'Makahiki' means year, they often used the word to greet each other 'Happy New Year' or 'Hau'oli Makahiki Hou', pronounced as 'how-OH-lee mah-kah-hee-kee | ho'. Due to this reason, no warfare or infringes were permitted in the duration of these four months.
When Christianity was introduced and finally adopted by the Hawaiians, some of the customs of Makahiki seeped into the traditions of Christianity, which eventually mingled into each other and lost their distinctive flavors. Gradually, with the passage of more time, different customs of many more cultures contributed to it. Today thereby, fruitcakes and candies are dished along with turkeys, which in turn are accompanied by sushi, tamales, poke, lumpia, manapua and coconut pudding.
Any social gathering during this festive period is regarded as the desire 'to make music' or 'kanikapila'. This implies that get-togethers invariably include vocalizing along with playing guitars, especially the ukuleles. The Hawaiian songs sung during Christmas are usually traditional Christmas songs set in Hawaiian language and tuned to harmonious melodies. There are, of course, many beautiful Hawaiian musical compositions which are entirely original. The most important one among them are Mele Kalikimaka, a unique Hawaiian Christmas song that truly captures the spirit of Christmas. These enchanting Hawaiian Christmas songs are often companioned by the hula-hula, an established Hawaiian form of dancing.
The most celebrated Hawaiian Christmas Song, Mele Kalikimaka, rightly pronounced as 'meh-leh kah-lee-kee-mah-kah' is given below:
Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas to you."
It is interesting to note that the words 'Mele Kalikimaka' are a phonetic rendering of the actual words 'Merry Christmas'. This is precisely because when Christianity and its customs were first introduced to the Hawaiians primarily by the Western missionaries, they faced great inconvenience in pronouncing the words 'Merry Christmas' and transformed them into words that they were comfortable articulating, and thus was born the Hawaiian Christmas song 'Mele Kalikimaka'. Composed by Robert Alexander Anderson, the legendary Hawaiian songster, in 1949 and recorded in 1950 by Bing Crosby for the first time, 'Mele Kalikimaka' is in fact the Hawaiian style of saying 'Merry Christmas to you'. The most significant aspect of this song is that it aptly outlines the account of the festival of Christmas in Hawaii. It is also noteworthy that this well known Hawaiian Christmas classic falls under the category of 'hapa haole' music or Hawaiian music having English lyrics.
A list of some of the most favorite Hawaiian Christmas songs along with their artists is provided here:
- Numbah One Day of Christmas - Ed Kenney & Honolulu Boy Choir
- White Christmas - Nina Kealiiwahamana & Hawaii Calls Orchestra
- I'm Coming Home For Christmas - Robi Kahakalau and Jeff Rasmussen
- Kani Kani Pele - Hawaii Calls Chorus
- My Hawaiian Christmas - the Honolulu Boy Choir & Ed Kenney
- No Mo' Christmas Blues - Frank Delima with Honolulu Boy Choir
- E Aloha E - Brickwood Galuteria
- Auld Lang Syne - Frank Leto
- Christmas Cheer - Cecilio & Kapono
- Christmas in the Isles - Teresa Bright & Honolulu Children's Opera Chorus
- Santa's Hula - Hilo Hattie
- Christmas Day Promise - Danny Couch
- Mele Kalikimaka on Christmas Day - Pandanus Club
Here are the names of the most incomparable Hawaiian Christmas music albums through which you can discover the magic of Christmas that lies hidden:
- Hawaiian Style Christmas - Various Artists
- Old Hawaiian Christmas - Maluhia - Various Artists
- Hawaiian Style Christmas 2 - Various Artists
- Tiny Cd3 Xtreme Xmas - Various Artists
- Our Ohana's 2nd Christmas - Various Artists
- Classic Island Christmas - Various Artists
- Hawaii Christmas In The Islands - Various Artists
- Smooth Island Jazz Christmas (All Instrumentals)
- Christmas Favorites - The Brothers Cazimero
- Hapa Holidays - Hapa
- Mele Kalikimaka From Kanilau - Kanilau
- Merry Christmas From Kapena - Kapena
- A Father-Daughter Christmas - Rob & Corrie Westerman
- An Old Fashioned Christmas - The Opihi Pickers And Friends
- Christmas In Hawaii - Danny Couch
- Christmas On Kauai - Larry Rivera
- Christmas In Hawaii - Jerry Byrd
- A Kanaka Christmas - Sean Na'auao
- A Christmas Promise - Jeff Rasmussen & Kenneth Makuakane
- Shaka Kalikimaka - Imua
- A Taro Patch Christmas - Ozzie Kotani & Steve Sano
- Steel Tropics - Christmas Paradise - Tom Liston And Steel Tropics
- The Don Ho Christmas Album - Don Ho
- Home For The Holidays - Ho'okena
- Merriest Hawaiian Christmas - Jerry Byrd,Melveen Leed,Honolulu Boys Choir
- Christmas Day In Hawaii Nei - Makaha Sons
- Christmas Time - Eddie Kamae & The Sons Of Hawaii
- A Merry Hawaiian Christmas - Hawaii Calls
- Mele Kalikimaka - Hilo Hattie, Maile Serenaders, Nina Kealiiwahamana, etc.
- With A Christmas Vibe - Arthur Lyman
To further tune into the rapturous music of Hawaiian Christmas songs, stay connected and flip through the pages of Christmasonnet
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