Christmas Tree

Okay I am posting these words in hopes that it will get me in the spirit. How about you?

In the past, we cut down our own homegrown norfolk pine lāʻau kalikimaka. It was so depressing to purchase one for an excessive amount of money that came from the mainland, complete with snakes and spiders and other invasive creatures. All that fossil fuel for something that would be disposed of once 12/26 rolled around. And on top of that, have it drop its fragrant pine needles and become a fire hazard in the comforts of my living room. But I digress…

Lāʻau is the generic word for plant, wood or tree. You might also see or hear kumulāʻau kalikimaka or even kumu kalikimaka, all meaning the same thing: Christmas tree. No matter how you say it, it is all good. All in the Christmas spirit.

Speaking of lāʻau kalikimaka, here is a bit of trivia. Did you know that David Douglas, the namesake for the Douglas firs, died in 1834 under mysterious circumstances in the Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Hawaiʻi? He was a young 35 when he died, having reportedly fallen into a pit trap. There is a monument erected in his honor that I visited in Hakalau a few years ago. Finding it was a bit easier than finding the pit into which he presumably fell. There are several Douglas firs that guard the monument.

What do you use for your lāʻau kalikimaka?

Ke kū nei ka lā’au kalikimaka i waho no ka manaw a- The Christmas tree is standing outside for now.

E hoʻonaninani kākou i ka lāʻau Kalikimaka– Let’s decorate the Christmas tree.