With the winter break being such a popular time to travel, you may, very luckily, find yourself on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii over the holidays.
We might not have mountains of snow (although Mauna Kea has been known to get an inch or two) or that fire-place weather that makes you yearn for a hot chocolate and an electric blanket. . . but that doesn’t mean our island isn’t full of the holiday spirit.
Here are just a few ideas for ways to spend your Hawaiian holidays.
Get Chilly during the Hawaiian Holidays
Is weather an essential part of your holiday experience? Although we love our famous sunshine, we understand the desire for some sweater-weather if you really want to feel the winter cheer during your Hawaiian holidays.
Hawaii might be famously temperate, but the Big Island is one of the most diverse places on the planet. Mauna Kea is still known to get some snow once or twice a year (rarely over the holidays unfortunately) and people will even do their best to sled, ski, or snowboard down. This is definitely more for the novelty than for the fun. Let’s just say even when we do get snow, it isn’t exactly fresh powder.
Even if you can’t make it up Mauna Kea, there are plenty of very chilly areas on the island. Our favorite has to be Volcanoes. Although Volcanoes Park can get dangerously hot with it’s barren lava fields and un-shaded hikes, travel back into Volcanoes Town and find a lush, adorable and chilly area. Most of the hotels here don’t offer A/C but instead fireplaces or heaters!
Space Out
If you can’t be surrounded by the snowy backdrop of the winter celebrations, you can at least be surrounded by . . . information on Hawaiian holidays? Alright, we didn’t make that sound interesting but we promise it is.
The Imiloa Astronomy Center is putting on multiple shows of “The Mystery of the Christmas Star,” where they take you and your family back thousands of years to Bethlehem and discuss the astronomy at the time of the birth of Christ. Shows go through the end of the month.
Get Theatrical during the Hawaiian Holidays
Go traditional with a true holiday essential and check out “The Nutcracker” ballet performance at Kahilu Theater in Waimea. Shows are from December 21–23.
Or, for those of you wanting to break the mold, check out “A Christmas Cabaret.” Feel good about this decision, since it’s also a fundraiser for the theaters’ next season. With your ticket, you’ll also get food and a drink (with more to purchase). Shows are from December 20–22.
These are just a few ways to spend your time while on the islands for the holidays. Most importantly, though, is experiencing Aloha, both by giving and receiving kindness, compassion, and respect. You can experience and share Aloha just by picking up trash on the beach (even if it’s not yours) or smiling and saying hello, or by telling your local blog writer how much you appreciate them (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves).
Wishing you aloha and Happy Hawaiian Holidays! Check back to find out information on options for how to spend your Christmas Day!
