Since it’s the holidays, I thought I’d write about some seasonal stories. Ho ho ho.
Dan Eubanks of Kailua- Kona wrote me about a Thanksgiving past and the Hawaiian hospitality extended to his family.
“In the early 1960s my father, Jay Eubanks, got a call from his friend Francis Wong. Francis said that they had a huge amount of food left over from a family gathering and, if my father would bring some dishes, he would like my father to take some home.
“Knowing that Francis and his family were known for having delicious local food, he jumped at the chance. Gathering covered dishes, he drove to Francis’ house and rang the bell. It was obvious that Francis still had guests because of the commotion inside.
“Francis answered the door, and my father said that he was there with dishes to take home some leftovers. Francis invited him in, introduced him to guests and filled the dishes with great food. My father thanked Francis profusely and drove home loaded with goodies.
“A few minutes after he got home, the phone rang. It was Francis Wong inquiring if my father was coming to get leftovers.
“At that time my father realized that he had gone to the wrong Wong’s house, who by coincidence was having a family party as well.
“What was so amazing was that the wrong Francis Wong was so gracious and accommodating, giving my father food without question.
“This story ended with my father inviting both Wong families for dinner a few weeks later, with good food, fellowship and great laughter, not to mention some scotch. True local hospitality on the part of the Wongs.”
Numbah One
Hawaii lost two of its most talented sons this year. Ed Kenney was 85. I met him in 1973 when he starred in Honolulu Community Theatre’s production of “Guys and Dolls.”
He had a beautiful voice, and I often saw him driving a convertible Mercedes around town singing.
Eaton “Bob” Magoon Jr. was 96. He was a businessman, Broadway producer and songwriter. He was a great-grandson of Hawaii’s first Chinese millionaire, Chun Afong.
Their song, “Numbah One Day of Christmas,” is a Hawaii classic. It was written in just 15 minutes by Magoon, Kenney and Gordon Phelps, Magoon’s assistant.
The three were eating food from Hee Hing Chop Suey at a Diamond Head home in 1956.
Kenney told the others that he needed a new song for Christmas. “He always needed new song,” Magoon said, “and I always had to write them.”
Kenney had starred in Magoon’s “13 Daughters” on Broadway. Kenney also sang Magoon’s hit, “Mr. Sun Cho Lee.”
Magoon thought for a moment. “I think I just said, ‘Numbah one day of Christmas, my tutu give to me, one mynah bird in one papaya tree.’”
“Yeah, that’s it!” Kenney said. Within 15 minutes the three had come up with 12 things that were special to Hawaii to replace the pipers piping, geese-a-laying and maids a-milking that symbolized Catholic teachings in the traditional carol.
As they wrote the song, they looked for things that sounded funny in pidgin and looked funny at the same time.
Kenney said he tried to think of gifts that his tutu might give in the seaside village of Anahola, Kauai, where he grew up. Coconuts, poi, squid, ukulele, flower lei and pigs — “the best part of the Hawaiian’s diet.”
Eleven missionaries were thrown in just for fun, Magoon recalls. Kenney says their influence on Hawaii language, music and dress got them a place in the song.
When they got to the 12th day, the gift was 12 televisions — not really something particular to local culture. But remember, in the late 1950s televisions were a new thing, Magoon says. Everyone wanted one.
“In those days,” Kenny said, “television was da bess geef o’vall.”
Bishop Museum archivist DeSoto Brown says the song is historically significant. It legitimized pidgin English in mass communication. Before that, “people spoke it, but it was not something used on radio or TV very much.”
Kenney told Star-Bulletin writer Stephanie Castillo that as a boy he often saw mynah birds in papaya trees eating the seeds and thought it was funny.
Tutu is the central figure in the song, giving gifts to the kids. She’s “where the heart is in this Hawaiian Christmas carol,” Kenny said.
Coinciding
Today we have a month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That gives us and “tutu” plenny of time to buy all da bess geefs, li’dat.
In 1856 Thanksgiving occurred on Dec. 25.
On Nov. 3 of that year, The Polynesian newspaper reported a proclamation of the new king, Kamehameha IV, Alexander Iolani Liholiho:
“Whereas, during the year now drawing to a close, we have enjoyed, as a people, numerous and great blessings.
“Peace and tranquility have prevailed throughout our islands; although our people have suffered from a drought almost unparalleled, neither our agriculture nor commerce has entirely failed. Both begin to revive. The crops in most places have been good.
“Perhaps we have never enjoyed a year of more general health; religion and education have been free and prosperous.
“For all of which numerous and invaluable blessings we owe, as a nation, a formal, general and heartfelt tribute of thanksgiving to the Almighty, on whose favor all prosperity, whether individual or national, depends.
“We do, therefore designate Thursday, the 25th of December as a day of public Thanksgiving to God throughout the Islands and we earnestly invite all good people to a sincere and prayerful observance of the same.”
Today Thanksgiving day is pretty much set in our calendars, but 150 years ago it moved around. In 1851, for instance, King Kamehameha III put it on Dec. 31.
Santa appears
In 1858 Santa Claus and a Christmas tree appeared at Washington Place, the home of Mrs. Dominis.
A magnificent “Christmas Tree” had been provided, and the children gathered about it with sparkling eyes and clattering tongues, The Polynesian reported.
They “found it lighted up with candles, and the branches bending under the weight of gifts.”
Bells announced a miniature sleigh with eight tiny reindeer and a little old driver.
In a moment Santa Claus was heard at the door, and in a flash he stood before the youthful group, which greeted him with a volley of merry shouts.
“He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot; his eyes, how they twinkled, his dimples, how merry; his cheeks were like roses; his nose like a cherry.”
For an hour while he was bestowing his gifts, the hundred children present were one of the happiest groups ever witnessed in Honolulu, The Polynesian continued.
Then Santa Claus “sprang to his sleigh, to his team he gave a whistle; and they all flew away like the down of a thistle.
“But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, ‘Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.’”
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Ed Kenney, Eaton “Bob” Magoon Jr., and Gordon Phelps wrote the song “Numbah One Day of Christmas” about local treats Kenney’s tutu might give out in the town of Anahola, Kauai, where he grew up. Below are the items mentioned in the song.
>> 12 televisions
>> 11 missionaries
>> 10 canna beahs
>> 9 pounds of poi
>> 8 ukuleles
>> 7 shrimp a-sweemen
>> 6 hula lessons
>> 5 beeg fat pigs
>> 4 flower lei
>> 3 dried squid
>> 2 coconut
>> 1 mynah bird in one papaya tree
Have a question or suggestion? Contact Bob Sigall, author of the five “The Companies We Keep” books, at Sigall@Yahoo.com.
