Kimo's Advent Calendar:
Bright Lights Behind Door #17.
Honolulu City Lights Display
The highly anticipated annual Honolulu City Lights Holiday display is a chance for children from one to ninety two to experience the magic of the Season.
Honolulu City Lights runs from December 6 through January 4. Learn more about the events and schedules at HonoluluCityLights.org
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Kimo's Advent Calendar display's a little bit of Hawai'i's multi-cultural holiday traditions and Christmas events during the Makahiki celebrations. I'm posting an Advent Door a day until Kalikimaka (Christmas), featuring a word or cultural tradition found here in Hawai'i that celebrates the joy of the season and how we share that time together with family and friends.
Shaka Santa and Mele Tutu, Hawai'i's Version of Santa and Mrs. Claus. Although you wouldn't know it from the photo, this giant Santa is 21ft tall and weighs over 2 tons, that's a lot of cookies and milk... Ahem, we won't mention Mele Tutu's particulars.
Honolulu City lights is an annual event, here in the Capitol district of Hawaii that transforms the downtown and City Hall area into a wonderland of flashing lights and over-sized Christmas themed displays. The focal point is the opening night parade and lighting of the Honolulu Hale(City Hall) Christmas Tree. Children of all ages can peruse the "Corridor of Lights" lining King Street from Tamarind Park to Thomas Square. The Honolulu City light display runs from the beginning of December through to the New Year with trolley tours and special events adding to the joy of the season.
The Snow Family is from the Big Island and live atop Mauna Kea this time of year. They take a long holiday off island during the summer time.
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HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS |  |
IS PRESENTED BY
THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FRIENDS OF HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS
©2014 FRIENDS OF HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Some upcoming Honolulu City Lights FREE Events for Keiki of all ages and scrooges too!
- December 19th FREE milk and cookie night in front of Honolulu Hale Christmas tree.
- December 20th FREE picture taking with Santa in Honolulu Hale Courtyard 7-9pm.
Honolulu Hale (City Hall) Christmas Tree display
The History of Honolulu City Lights
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1985:
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It was Mayor Frank F. Fasi who “flipped the switch” on the very first Honolulu City Lights display, on Thursday, December 12, 1985. A 50-foot Norfolk Pine was installed in on the lawn of Honolulu Hale lit with flood lights and simply decorated. The event included a lighted tree in the court yard, a holiday concert and light display from the downtown area to the civic center. |
1986: |
As more downtown businesses began participating with light displays on their buildings. A public wreath contest and display was added to the event. |
1987: |
The month-long holiday event is named “Honolulu City Lights”. The Original Honolulu Hale Christmas tree was now decorated with strings of colored lights with a traffic signal control box to change the colors. |
1988: |
Ornaments were designed by Owen Ho and constructed specifically for the Honolulu Hale tree and the first of many large outdoor tableau's were built to make Honolulu City Lights a metropolitan holiday light display unique to Honolulu. |
1989: |
Shaka Santa was the first of the giant sized Christmas Characters to appear, weighing in at 2-tons and standing 21’ high this giant of Christmas was designed by Owen Ho and created by sculptor Kurt Nelson. The Shaka Santa is a beloved part of the holiday event and has been a fixture on the Honolulu Hale fountain every year since. |
1990: |
In addition to Shaka Santa more Characters were added including: The Snow Family, Mrs. Claus or Tutu Mele, the Mele Kalikimaka alphabet blocks, Rudolph and many others with and the lighting decorations were extended from downtown all the way to Thomas Square and the Blaisdell Center. |
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1991:
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The Public Workers Electric Light Parade was added to the event with decorated municipal vehicles lighting the way, including: garbage trucks, cherry pickers, ambulances, and fire and police vehicles. A pleasant opportunity to see how our tax dollars are spent. |
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1995:
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It was not until 1995 that the facade of Honolulu Hale was bathed in colorful lighting using spot lights and other illumination. |
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2001:
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A giant lit American flag, in memorial to 9/11, was installed on the Honolulu Hale lawn next to the Christmas tree and all the Christmas Characters wore red, white and blue ribbons. |
2004: |
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS- As time passed, more outdoor displays were added including the Bear Band and Lanakila Pineapple train and new ornaments were designed and constructed every 3 years for the Honolulu Hale Christmas tree. |
2009: |
25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HONOLULU CITY LIGHTS- To commemorate the 25th Anniversary a limited edition silver ornament was made. |
2014: |
30TH ANNIVERSARY HONOLULU CITY LIGHT- To commemorate the 25th Anniversary a limited edition gold ornament was made.
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Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!
Happy New Year
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