That’s
“Merry Christmas” transliterated into Hawaiian,
whose alphabet lacks the letters R (which is generally rendered as L)
and S (usually given the letter K).
our tropical Nativity
scene and baby Norfolk Pine tree
In addition to being a
transliteration from the English “merry,” it’s fun to know that
the word “mele” also has a real meaning in Hawaiian, which is
“song” or “chant.” So I like to think of the traditional
seasonal greeting here as having the additional sense of something
like “Melodious Christmas!”
Celebrating the holidays in
a different culture—and yes, the culture here is quite different
from on the Mainland—is always a treat for me, especially when I
get to experience different types of food. I’ve been getting a real
kick out of the specials the local markets have been running during
the past week, so I thought I’d share a few with you.
