Dec. 1
Kaimuki celebrates the season with school groups, bands and businesses marching up Waialae Avenue from Chaminade to Koko Head Avenue for the community’s 65th annual Christmas parade at 6 p.m. Forty vehicles and 1,500 marchers are expected to participate.
Dec. 2:
Fresh off an appearance for first lady Michelle Obama, the Honolulu Boy Choir will be "wishing you the merriest Hawaiian Christmas" at the Ala Moana Centerstage at 7 p.m. For more mall events, log on to www.alamoanacenter.com. If you miss this show, you can catch them again at a free concert at Central Union Church, 1660 S. Beretania St., at 7 p.m. Dec. 17. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Call 941-0957.
Dec. 3
Learn to make a parol, a tasseled star popular in the Philippines, in a free class from 10 a.m. to noon at Hawaii’s Plantation Village in Waipahu. Call 677-0110 to reserve a seat. Also, the city will light up the 50-foot tree in front of Honolulu Hale at 6 p.m., followed by a parade of school bands, city vehicles decked out in holiday lights and Santa. Food booths, keiki rides and souvenir stands will be open on Civic Center grounds from 4 p.m. Check out the five new 12-foot Christmas cookies designed by kids from the city’s Summer Fun program.
Dec. 4
Soak in classical music at Central Union Church’s 64th annual presentation of Handel’s Messiah. The performance starts at 7 p.m. and features guest soloist Quinn Kelsey and conductor Sangeet Gellhorn. Call 941-0957.
Dec. 5
Tune in to ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas offerings, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys" at 7 p.m. and "The Polar Express" at 8:30 p.m., to help get into the holiday mood. While you watch, work on your entry for the Star-Advertiser’s Keiki Kalikimaka ornament contest for a chance to win some Christmas cash. See entry form, Page D3.
Dec. 6
Join the monthly "Minibuild" session, in which kids ages 6 to 14 can build a Lego nutcracker soldier, at the Lego Store at Ala Moana Center from 5 p.m. until supplies run out. Visit stores.lego.com/en-us/Honolulu/events.aspx.
Dec. 7
Gather at Castle Medical Center for the Kailua tree-lighting ceremony. A Christmas concert starts at 6:35 p.m. with the tree lighting and Santa’s arrival planned for 7 p.m. There will be trolley rides through the town to see the lights, children’s activities, costumed characters and a concert starring Vaihi. Visit http://castlemed.org or call 263-5400.
Dec. 8
From 9 a.m. to noon, deaf children can share their holiday wishes in American Sign Language with Deaf Santa and his Interpreting Elves at Pearlridge Center, Uptown, second level. Visit www.pearlridgeonline.com. Also, the Family and Community Education Clubs will present a class at 5:30 p.m. at Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library on economical gifts, decorations and food plans. Samples of the dishes prepared will be provided. Call 831-6831.
Dec. 9
Get on board “The Polar Express” during storytime at 7 p.m. at Barnes &?Noble, Ala Moana Center. Kids are invited to come in their pajamas and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies while listening to the story of a boy’s magical ride to the North Pole. Call 949-7307.
Dec. 10
The second Saturday in December is always the busiest of the Christmas season, and this year is no different. With too many to list, here is a sampling:
» Santa arrives in his outrigger canoe at 9 a.m. on Waikiki Beach fronting the Outrigger Waikiki. Bring your camera to snap a picture with the big man.
» Pearl Highlands Center will truck in 40 tons of snow for kids to engage in local-style winter fun from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
» Take in the scenes from 6 to 8 p.m. at a drive-through Nativity, featuring live animals, at Central Union Church. Call 941-0957.
» The West Oahu Holiday Electric Light Parade brings marching bands and floats to the second city in Kapolei. The parade leaves the Kapolei Fairgrounds at 6 p.m. and twists through the neighborhood to Kapolei Hale.
Dec. 11
The photo packages can be pricey, but climbing up and whispering your heartfelt Christmas wishes to Santa Claus is still free. Drop off a stamped letter to the man in red at the Santa Mail mailboxes in Macy’s stores and the store will donate $1 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation for each letter received. Or stop by the Dear Santa Letter Writing Station at Windward Mall, write a letter and include a postage stamp, and you will receive a reply in the mail.
Dec. 12
Take a trip to the Windward side to see who has the brightest display on Hui Koloa Place, also called Christmas Lane, in Kaneohe. Or drive around your neighborhood to see who has the festive spirit on display.Dec. 13: Watch the array of Christmas trees at Ala Moana’s Center Court flash in rhythm to holiday tunes in Mele Trees of Light at 6, 6:30, 8 and 8:30 p.m. through Dec. 23. The 10-minute show culminates in a snowy finale. Windward Mall’s Snow Flurry Tree snows for 15 minutes at the top of the hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Dec. 24.
Dec. 15
Aina Haina Public Library hosts Holiday Puppet Times at 10:30 a.m., with puppeteer Christy Lipps presenting seasonal songs in a 45-minute program. Call 377-2456.
Dec. 16:
The women of Mermaids of Hawaii will be flipping their fins in their annual Christmas water show at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel, 120 Kaiulani Ave., at 5:30 p.m. Call 864-8122 or visit www.MermaidsHawaii.com.
Dec. 17
Thirty-minute evening boat tours for Pearl Harbor will be offered from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 16 to 18. Boats leave every 15 minutes and take visitors past Pearl Harbor ships and submarines outlined in Christmas lights. Tickets are distributed beginning at 5:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Canned food donations will be accepted. A small wallet, camera, cellphone and jacket will be allowed, but all purses, backpacks, fanny packs and other bags are prohibited. Call 487-3327.
Dec. 18
Make your own snow globe, visit with Santa, listen to the Mele Mai Paki Lima Handbell Choir or check out the exhibits at the Honolulu Academy of Arts during the monthly Bank of Hawaii Family Sunday event. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but activities end at 3 p.m. Visit www.honoluluacademy.org or call 532-8700.
Dec. 19
Observe the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, with a stop at the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, 2500 Pali Highway. The 7 p.m. service will explore the diverse ideas and practices that mark the day. Call 595-4047.
Dec. 20
OK, it’s not strictly a holiday event, but the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, which takes place on Christmas Eve, is hosting a week of events to get fans ready for the big game. Tonight, it is hosting a Barefoot Pep Rally at 6 p.m. at Queen’s Surf Beach in Waikiki, followed by a Sunset on the Beach showing of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." Visit www.sheratonhawaiibowl.com/events .html.
Dec. 22
Take a walk and check out the elaborate decorations at the hotels in Waikiki. Stop by The Royal Hawaiian and join in caroling with the Madrigal Singers in the main lobby from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21 to 25. For a calorie-free cookie delight, check out the gingerbread display created by executive chef Ralf Bauer at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel. The sweet city is constructed from 225 gallons of icing, 140 pounds of dark chocolate, 50 pounds of white chocolate and 70 sheets of gingerbread, and includes iconic buildings such as Kawaiaha‘o Church, the Moana Surfrider, Iolani Palace and Aloha Tower. Call 922-5811 or visit www.princesskaiulani.com.
Dec. 23
The Salvation Army performs its annual live Nativity show Dec. 21 to 24 at Waioli Gardens, 2950 Manoa Road. Shows run from 7 to 10 p.m., repeating every half-hour. Call 988-2136.
Dec. 24
Reflect on the season at the Christmas Eve candlelight service from 6 to 7 p.m. at International Baptist Church, 20 Dowsett Ave. Call 595-6352.
Dec. 25
Watch as the magic of the holiday season envelops your family while you reminisce about all the good times you’ve had this month.
