Wishing you and your loved ones peace, health, happiness and prosperity in the coming New Year! Merry Christmas!!!
One of my favorite Christmas songs, Henry Kapono – Merry Christmas to You:
Merry Christmas!!!
Merry Christmas !!!
Let’s not forget the reason for the season. Merry Christmas!!!
Here is Willie K singing O Holy Night:
Blackface Minstrel Shows and Sleigh Rides
This is about a song … the song was dedicated to John P Ordway, Esq. A “lengthy obituary of John Pond Ordway, [described him as] ‘a prominent citizen of Boston’ who had been “identified in many important enterprises” in his fifty-six years.”
“The obituary described Ordway’s Harvard education, enlistment in the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, and role as ‘one of ten surgeons sent to minister to the wounded’ at Gettysburg, as well as his political career, his thirty-year involvement in Freemasonry, and, not least of all, his ‘splendid physique.’”
“In this midst of these personal, professional, and physical attributes, the obituary described the pursuit of his ‘early life’: music. Not only did Ordway ‘write many popular songs,’ but he also ‘organized the troupe known as Ordway’s Aeolians, which performed in Ordway Hall, where the Province House now stands.’” (Tucker)
It was at Ordway Hall, on September 15, 1857, that the song was first performed by the minstrel performer Johnny Pell in a part of the program of the Dandy Darkies. (Hamill)
Johnny Pell, an endman – meaning he lampooned white civility in his ‘blackness’ – would have likely performed the song through the medium of the blackface dandy. (Hamill)
Blackface minstrelsy, which derived its name from the white performers who blackened their faces with burnt cork, was a form of entertainment that reached its peak in the mid-nineteenth century. (Library of Congress)
Using caricatures of African Americans in song, dance, tall tales, and stand-up comedy, minstrelsy was immensely popular with white audiences. (Library of Congress)
The classic age of blackface minstrelsy began in the late 1830s, when performers began to regularly form duos, trios, and occasionally quartets. By the 1840s, the show typically was divided into two parts: the first concentrated largely upon the urban black dandy, the second on the southern plantation slave. (Library of Congress)
At the same time, “sleighmania” onstage seems to have peaked during the 1857–8 entertainment season in Boston and New York. The popularity of burlesquing the sleigh narrative onstage might also reflect the activity in the newly opened Central Park that same season. (Hamill)
In these sleigh songs, singing about sleighing becomes the subject. “British actor Charles Mathews first toured Boston in 1823 and wrote back to his wife of the novelty of sleighs replacing carriages in the snow-filled streets …”
“‘These people are all happy, and as merry as Americans can affect to be, – that vexes me, who can only make myself happy by anticipating a thaw, and death to their mad frolics in their sleighs.’” (Hamill)
Sleighing as a mode of transportation evolved not only due to the climate, but also to accommodate the urban development of a peninsular city accessible by an isthmus known as the “neck” along Washington Street. (Hamill)
Sleighing was a popular activity not only for amusement, but also to display wealth. In 1857, the New-York Daily Times reported that EP (Edwin Pearce) Christy, founder of Christy’s Minstrels …
… ostentatiously made “a great dash in the streets, with a magnificent sleigh, which attracted unusual attention, from its splendor and the beauty of the prancing stud of snow-white horses to which it was attached.” (Hamill)
If speed, distance, flirting, and music were the essential qualities of a sleigh ride, it is probable that alcohol was also involved: temperance societies began warning people to “look out for the combination of cold sleigh rides, and hot punches.” (Hamill)
Sleigh riding was adopted as a youthful courtship ritual. Sleighing, such as an account by the humorist Mortimer Q. Thomson, “I can readily conceive that in the country …”
“… give a man a fast team, a light sleigh, a clear sky, a straight road, a pretty girl, plenty of snow, and a good tavern with a bright ball-room and capital music waiting at his journey’s end, the frigid amusement may be made endurable”. (Hamill)
These settings are seen in parts of different verses of the song … i.e. in one verse, “A day or two ago … I tho’t I’d take a ride … And soon miss Fanny Bright … Was seated by my side” – and in another verse, “Now the ground is white … Go it while you’re young … Take the girls tonight … and sing this sleighing song”. (Pierpont)
The song was written by James Lord Pierpont – he was the uncle of JP (John Pierpont) Morton (American financier and industrial organizer, one of the world’s foremost financial figures during the two pre-World War I decades). (Britannica)
Some suggest Pierpont wrote the song for his brother or father (bother ministers in Savanna, Georgia and Medford, Massachusetts, respectively) as a song for a Thanksgiving church service; due to its popularity, they say it was sung again at the following Christmas service.
Each city has a plaque outside proclaiming it as their song.
The song became immensely popular – some suggest it is one of the most popular Christmas carols of all time. The song was the first song broadcast from space during a Gemini mission in 1965.
Rather than it being a song for Thanksgiving written by the organist and choir director (James Pierpont) at his brother’s or father’s church, as many suggest … “The speculation is that [Pierpont] was short on funds, and just kind of dashed it off in order to make some money”. (Hendricks, WSAV)
As noted by Hamill, “its origins emerged from the economic needs of a perpetually unsuccessful man [James Pierpont], the racial politics of antebellum Boston, the city’s climate, and the intertheatrical repertoire of commercial blackface performers moving between Boston and New York.” (Hamill)
Pierpont capitalized on minstrel music and entered upon a “safe” ground for satirizing black participation in northern winter activities. (Hamill)
The legacy of the song is a prime example of a common misreading of much popular music from the nineteenth century in which its blackface and racist origins have been subtly and systematically removed from its history. (Hamill)
Oh, the song? …
Pierpont first named it (in 1857) “One Horse Open Sleigh”; he recopyrighted it in 1859 under a new name … Jingle Bells.
Christmas in the Islands
On the 24th (of December 1778), about half an hour after day-break, land was discovered bearing NE by E½E. Upon a nearer approach, it was found to be one of those low islands so common in this ocean …”
“… that is, a narrow bank of land inclosing the sea within. A few cocoa-nut trees were seen in two or three places; but in general the land had a very barren appearance.”
“As we kept our Christmas here, I called this discovery Christmas Island. … Christmas Island, like most others in this ocean, is bounded by a reef of coral rocks, which extends but a little way from the shore. Farther out than this reef, on the west side, is a bank of sand, extending a mile into the sea.” (Cook’s Journal)
An early (possibly the first evidence of Western Christmas in the Hawaiian Islands) involves Captain Dixon on the Queen Charlotte at Waimea, Kauai, noting …
“This being Christmas, that season of the year so universally convivial throughout the civilized world, we spent our time as agreeably, and with plenty of as good chear we could procure, such as roast pig, sea-pie, &c. &c …”
“… and to shew our refined taste, even in our liquor, we no longer drank grog mixed with simple water, but offered our Christmas libations in punch, mixed with the juice of the cocoa-nut …”
“… toasting our friends and mistresses in bumpers of this liquor, which, perhaps, pleased more on account of its novelty, than from any other circumstance.” (Dixon, 1786)
Sailing with Dixon, on the King George, was Captain Portlock, who “found it would be impracticable for us to reach Wymoa before night came on; at this time we were not far from a comfortable house belonging to Abbenooe (at Niihau) …”
“… therefore I determined to take up my lodging in it for the night, and my companions were glad to embrace the same opportunity, as they were greatly fatigued with their walk. We arrived at the house about sunset, and one of Abbenooe’s men, who had joined us in the course of the afternoon …”
“… gave directions for a hog and a dog to be immediately killed and dressed for our suppers, together with a large quantity of taro. The house was well lighted up with torches made of dry rushes, and at eight o’clock supper being ready, it was served up in great order, and I think few people ever ate a heartier supper that we did.”
“My friend’s man acted as master of the ceremonies, and served the provisions to each person; and after our feast was ended, he ordered the remains to be taken care of, as he told me it was for us to eat before we set out in the morning.” (Portlock, 1786)
On December 30, 1837, the Sandwich Islands Gazette published an announcement, “With all good wishes for the welfare of our patrons, and of every member of the community, we wish them a Merry Christmas and a ‘very happy new year’.” It was probably the first public acknowledgement of Christmas as a day for celebration. (Spoehr)
The following year, in a December 22, 1838, edition of the newspaper, its editor, Stephen D. Mackintosh, was on time with its Christmas salutation: “Christmas We wish you all a merry Christmas! Patrons. And many a return of the day for years to come!”
“From the ‘Sketch Book’ we have extracted a fragment upon Christmas which may be read with interest at this season: ‘At Christmas be merry, and thankful with all. And treat thy poor neighbors, the great with the small.’” (Spoehr)
The Polynesian reminded folks that “The human system requires excitements of various natures to bring into play all its latent energies. Fasting and feasting have their important bodily purposes, as varying the routine and restraining the energy of an otherwise too apathetic life.”
“So with certain seasons designed by the Church to diversify the regularity of sabbath worship, and bring to the minds of men, even amid the times of their busy worldly action, the claims of their Redeemer.”
“Seasons like these have a great tendency to prevent religion from degenerating into a set, periodical frame of mind, very appropriate for the particular day, but quite foreign to the active relations of life.”
“Even those churches that decline the acknowledgement of any of the festivals which have been commemorated from the times of the Apostles down, and are now alike venerable by age, and dear by association, set apart other times for fasting or thanksgiving, or for stimulating what is technically called ‘revivals.’”
“They feel the need and imitate the example, though without regularity, or the authority of antiquity, or the intent to perpetuate the memory of any important event bearing upon the eternal interests of mankind, to commend it. But what ever may be the views of our various readers, we most cordially wish them a ‘merry Christmas.’” (Polynesian, December 28, 1844)
The paper also noted, “On Christmas the places of business of the foreign merchants were generally closed, and their occupants engaged in the customary amusements of the day.” (The Polynesian, December 28, 1844)
Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma officially celebrated Christmas for the first time in 1862. Kamehameha IV had previously (1856) set aside December 25 as a national day of Thanksgiving, but later gave public notice that Christmas would be formally observed on December 25th. (Kanahele)
“(W)hen Christmas came round, the (Episcopal) bishop endeavoured to attract them by observances which are familiar to us, but which were new to the Hawaiians.”
“The bishop writes in his journal: ‘Until this year, Christmas had never been outwardly observed here at all. Business had always been transacted as usual, and even the schools used to reopen after the recess about the 20th, as if on purpose to ignore the day.’”
“‘We resolved to inaugurate a different state of things, and no longer to suffer the birthday of our blessed Lord to pass without due honour. The king (Kamehameha IV), who is heartily with us in all our proceedings, proclaimed a general holiday for that day; all the government offices were closed, shops shut up, and business generally suspended.’”
“‘Two days before, the king sent to the mountains to cut green boughs. There are no English evergreens here; the trees, it is true, are always in foliage, but when branches are cut, they soon wither.’”
“‘There is, however, abundance of cypress, and the king procured for us besides, a large quantity of myrtle, and orange boughs, and beautiful flowers. Twenty Hawaiians, both men and women of the higher class, helped us in the decoration, and we succeeded in making the temporary church very Christmas-like and pleasant-looking.’”
“Can you not fancy how much pleasure the sight of a decorated church, and the first sound of our Christmas hymns, must have given the Hawaiians?” (Donne)
Arch Deacon Mason noted, “I never saw in England a church so beautifully decorated.” The Protestants at Kawaiaha‘o and Catholics at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace decorated their own with wreaths. (Kanahele)
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Merry Christmas!!!
We grew up on Kāne‘ohe Bay Drive, not far from the Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i.
Marines, then, didn’t have cars and weren’t allowed to hitchhike. Folks in the community were always accommodating to these young men.
I remember when I was little; my mother packed us in the Ford Fairlane station wagon and we’d “go for a ride.”
So, there we are, three kids and a mom piled in a car … and my mother was looking to pick up Marines.
It’s not how it sounds.
When we spotted some, we’d stop and offer them a ride – they always accepted.
As we drove them to Kailua (their usual destination,) we used our body and sign language to confirm if they were “the right ones.”
When my mother felt the time was right, she popped the question – “Would you nice young men like to join us for Thanksgiving Dinner?”
They agreed. A few days later, we shared our Thanksgiving dinner with 3-4 Marines.
They then joined us for Christmas; my mother sewed an aloha shirt for each of them as a Christmas present.
Over the years, these guys continued to exchange Christmas cards with my mother; I know it made her happy.
Wishing you and your loved ones peace, health, happiness and prosperity in the coming New Year! Merry Christmas!!!
One of my favorite Christmas songs, Henry Kapono – Merry Christmas to You (accompanied by some Marines:)
