The Word of the Day is "Mele Kalikimaka"

Credit: Depositphotos.com/Robert Keenan

Aloha mai kākou

From 2Honu.com, to all of you and yours……Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas)!. Be safe, be merry and have a wonderful day with your loved ones!

Enjoy this video, wishing you Mele Kalikimaka from the Hawaiian islands. Click Here

A hui hou,

2Honu.com

The Word of the Day is "Kanakaloka"

Credit: Depositphotos.com/Pavel Chernobrivets

Aloha mai kākou,

We’re almost done with 2012, but not before the arrival of “Kanakaloka” (Santa Claus)! There’s a song called , “Here comes Santa, in a red canoe” that I grew up hearing. But I have to admit, that I never had the pleasure of actually witnessing Santa in a Canoe. He always arrived in a car, or by foot! Lol. The closest would have to be a Hawaiian Santa, complete with surf shorts, an aloha shirt, and a big red bag of gifts! The mall Santa, is who my kids grew up with. In our small town, there’s not too many other opportunities to see anyone else, so in their eyes…. He’s it! *smiles*. I’ll leave you with a link to my favorite Hawaiian Christmas song…

The 12 days of Christmas, Hawaiian style…..


A hui hou,

Haunani

The Word of the Day is "`Ānela"

Credit: Depositphotos.com/Ewa Mazur

Aloha mai kākou,

Atop our tree is an angel whose wings light up and cast a spherical light around the room. What does an angel symbolize to you? The `ānela (ahh nay lah) signifies peace to me, as it does to many. I have been graced with many different forms of angels this past year. In times of need, or when things seem a bit chaotic, friends and family have shown their generosity more than I could ever ask for.

Like the past 3 years, I took my children to the Mall and picked out 2 angel tags from a charity sponsored Christmas tree. My children shopped around for the items requested, purchased them, and returned them as an anonymous donation. This organization had helped a family member of mine years ago. I hope that my children will continue this tradition of the ‘angel tree’ to remember those who don’t have much. My daughter asked me, “mommy, what do you want for Christmas? I want to make sure I have enough to get the best gift for you”. Of course I replied, “ The three of you are my everlasting gifts from God, and I will be forever content”…..

A hui hou,

Haunani

The Word of the Day is "Lā`au Kalikimaka"

The Christmas tree, or “lā`au kalikimaka” (lahh ow kah lee kee ma kah) is finally up and decorated. We are fortunate to have fresh Christmas trees, cut and flown to Hawai`i. It’s the evergreen fragrance, that permeates throughout the house, letting everyone know, what time of year it is. Unfortunately, I have an artificial one, but the decorations of silver and turquoise, brightened up the whole place. Not sure why Hilo gets our Christmas trees, the week before Thanksgiving, but the scent….. is amazing!

A hui hou,

Haunani

The Word of the Day is "Kanaka Hau"

Credit: iStockPhoto

Aloha mai kākou,

Along with the theme of December and Christmas, “kanaka hau” (ka na ka how) is the Hawaiian word for snowman. Living on the Big Island, our 2 tallest mountains are capped with snow from around late December to about February. With the change of climate in the past years, we haven’t been so fortunate to have the mountains stay white before melting!

I have to admit sadly that I haven’t been able to get up to actually see or touch the snow. People with breathing problems and/or asthma are advised to be careful or not ascend to the top of Mauna Kea (mao na kay ya). The first and only time I experienced snow was in New Zealand atop Mt. Ruapehu. Honestly, that was a little too cold for this Hawaiian girl! Lol. We did manage to make a Hawaiian snow woman, complete with a sarong and a head lei (sorry I don’t have the picture to prove that!).

A hui hou,

Haunani

The Word of the Day is "Kēkēmapa"

Credit: Depositphotos.com/Pavel Chernobrivets

Aloha mai kākou, Bring out the warm clothing, wax up the surfboards, hit up the malls, and welcome our last month of 2012. December in Hawaiian is “Kēkēmapa” (another letter for letter translation) and its that time when the North Shore’s waves increase to monstrous levels! We get our cooler temperatures, and though some people think Ugh boots are a vital part of the wardrobe, I prefer my slippers! Lol. Yup, 62 degrees is COLD to us locals, so don’t be alarmed if you see those boots, scarves, heavy jackets, gloves and beanies….. We’re actually freezing!!!! Hee hee hee…. A hui hou, Haunani