Where’s Santa on Kaanapali Beach?

KAANAPALI – Once upon a time, long, long ago, a red-suited man whose stomach shook like a bowl full of jelly flew over eight tiny specks in the ocean. Long after that, they were known as the Sandwich Islands and then the Hawaiian Islands. Santa did not stop.

The land was filled with beautiful people. They fished and grew taro they made into meals. They lived in villages by the sea and above. People were just like him. They were generous and believed in aloha.

One Christmas night, Santa noticed big jet airplanes coming to the islands. Each year, more and more came. Parents brought their children. Santa had a bright idea. He decided he should begin stopping before returning to the North Pole.

There were still toys in his pack. That lucky day, he began visiting houses, hotels and condos on Christmas Eve. Little girls and boys far from home would be able to have Christmas in Hawaii, too.

Santa noticed that Hawaii was a nice place to vacation. So, after a rest, he comes back every year to swim in the ocean and play in the sand.

Off comes his furry red suit trimmed in white, and on comes a bathing suit. Santa looks much different in a bathing suit. Maybe you would like to say “aloha” or “hi” to Santa along Kaanapali Beach, which will be very crowded with visitors Christmas Day and a few days after.

The best idea is that if you think you see him, just leave him alone. Let him rest and enjoy Paradise.

Columnist’s Notebook: You can see the 12 days of Maui Christmas in paradise on my daily photo blog KaanapaliCondoNews.com. The blog is now celebrating more than 7,000 views the first half-year and has more than 270 daily followers. Just scroll down to see all 12 days. Mele Kalikimaka and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou from Voices of Maui.