CHRISTMAS TREE LADEN WITH PRESENTS

THE FOREIGN CHRISTMAS TREE

Children lined up before the Executive Building to Receive Presents.

The Visitors along with the Children were Drenched in the Falling Rain on that Morning.

Two years have past since the start of the giving of a Malihini Christmas Tree heavy with presents of all sorts to the indigent children, and this year it seems as if there was the most presents collected along with the most children, reaching more than about two thousand, but showers coming down when the presents were being handed out was problematic for the little children and the gifts as well, and many of the presents were damaged.

Within the falling rain nonetheless, the children remained standing in line until they received their gift, and looking at their expressions, the happiness upon getting their present outweighed the difficulties of the rain.

In the past two years, the Foreign Tree stood in Bishop Park [Paka Bihopa], Ewa side of the Young Hotel [Hokele Iana], and it was there that the presents were distributed to the children who had tickets, but because of the decision to increase the amount of gifts with the knowledge that the number of children would be great, the tree was moved to grounds of the Executive Building [Hale Mana Hooko],¹ and there the children would receive the presents.

Being that it was a great happening held on the morning of this past Monday, there were many folks who went to see the presents being given to the children, and the grounds were filled with people and children too, those children who had tickets and those as well who did not.

In the early hours of that morning, it was believed that there would be no rain that day, so the members of the committee whose job it was to place the presents on the tree began their work; and when the time came to give the presents to the children, there was an area cordoned off with children lined up reaching somewhere over two thousand.

It was clear from the looks of the children who arrived that there were all the ethnicities who lived in this town; some were in their dress clothes, while others were in their everyday clothes which showed how poor they were.

There were other poor children, but because they did not obtain a ticket, none of them approached the place where the gifts were being handed out, and some people came with presents for them.

There was a long table filled with presents of all sorts that were separated so there would be no confusion, and from there the gifts were given as per the sort of child; if it was a boy, they would give a gift appropriate to him, and if it was a girl, she would receive only a gift that would befit her; and every child was counted for; the table was heaped up with things from fruits to dolls and toys.

Before the presents were given to the children, the American Judge S. B. Dole gave a short speech before the children, and his speech was something that they appreciated for they continued to cheer for him.

In his talk before them, he said that he spoke for Santa Clause and his helpers that day, and he gave his “aloha Karisimaka” to the children.

According to him, the Malihini Christmas Tree was raised by some malihini who visited Honolulu…

(See page 5.)

¹Iolani Palace.

[For a much clearer image taken on the same day, see the Instagram page: naneaarmstrongwassel! There are a lot of other cool stuff there as well!!]

(Kuokoa, 12/30/1910, p. 1)

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke XLVI, Helu 52, Aoao 1. Dekemaba 30, 1910.