Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose … oops!
I love chestnuts but none are grilling with the kalbi. And Jack Frost doesn’t live here, not even on the mauna. So, why do I keep humming that song? Because it’s starting to look a lot like Christmas, even on tropical islands.
Bah humbug. There’s another holiday favorite from Charles Dickens who introduced us to Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghosts. In fact, the word “scrooge” is an official part of the English language, a reminder of the grumpy cheapskate from “A Christmas Carol.”
Christmas or Christ’s Mass was first designated by 4th century Romans on December 25 which coincided with non-Christian festivities celebrating winter solstice and the end of harvest.
Today, many cultures around the world participate in this merry season of overindulgence so it’s not only in the U.S. where we go bonkers at Yuletide.
Owning up to personal pupule-ness, I confess to sending out ‘ukumillion Christmas cards, even to friends and relatives across town.
Right after Thanksgiving, I started searching for a picture perfect one with sincere but not schmaltzy greetings, appropriate for various traditions.
Once found, I spent days writing personal notes, addressing envelopes, then headed to the post office for stamps. Waiting in line, I studied the many artful designs and picked just the right one to carefully affix on my towering stack of sealed cards before stuffing them into the shiny blue USPS receptacle.
That done, I relaxed and waited for holiday greetings that slid in through our mail slot until one arrived from the long-lost acquaintance whom I had forgotten. Yikes! So, now began the scramble including another run to the drugstore where only hideous offerings remained.
Every year, we received family photos, and every year I vowed to do one. A picture is worth a thousand words, yes? But before smart phones and digital cameras, this was a big job. Months away, I would have to designate a day to dress up the clan, load the Kodak Instamatic, pester a friend to take 24 poses of our happy ‘ohana, drop the roll of film off at the camera shop and a week later at pick up, hope there would be at least one decent snapshot to share with the world.
Maybe I could substitute a photo in place of my handwritten greetings, but just thinking about getting it done wore me out.
Technology makes this easier now, but children are scattered and parents are falling-down old. Is it too late? Yes, it is.
And what about those cheerful letters summarizing the entire year? I enjoyed reading them and figured I too could compose one to copy and mail out until realizing a delaCruz family letter would fit on a postcard: We are all OK. The kids moved up a grade while parents worked their butt off. The cat ran away then came home. Merry Christmas.
Nowadays, we receive fewer and fewer holiday cards. I wonder if it’s because I no longer send any. At this point, people will assume I’ve left the planet so imagine their surprise when they run into me at the grocery store.
As you can guess, I’m ruminating over some of my lost Christmas traditions such as writing and mailing cards.
Do I miss it? Not really. It was a different time, a different place and a different me. But thanks to our newspaper, I can still send you a heartfelt greeting.
So, here are my sincere and not too schmaltzy wishes for a calm and peaceful holiday season.
Mele Kalikimaka and Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou!
Rochelle delaCruz was born in Hilo, graduated from Hilo High School, then left to go to college. After teaching for 30 years in Seattle, Wash., she retired and returned home to Hawaii. She welcomes your comments at rainysideview@gmail.com. Her column is published the first Monday of each month.