Mele Kalikimaka…holiday doings in Hawaii's historic churches, temples, shrines

Sunset, Dec, 1985

December 22 at 10:30 A.M.: all-music service features two choirs (some singing is in Korean) and costumed children acting out the Nativity. Share refreshments on the front lawn.

Makiki Christian Church, 829 Pensacola Street; 536-6446. Ornamented hip and gable roofs grace this 53-year-old building.

December 1, 8, 15, and 22 at 11 A.M.: the regular Sunday Japanese service (congregation members have a median age of about 75) has a Christmas flavor on these dates, with lightning of Advent candles and caroling in Japanese. After the service, share a simple Japanese lunch in the hall.

December 30 from 8 A.M. to noon: for the new year, Japanese gather to pound sweet, glutinous mochi rice into a thick paste, then eat it with a garnish of fermented soybeans, seaweed, or shredded turnip with a dash of soy sauce. You can watch the colorful pounding process in the yard, then step inside to eat and to see an old-fashioned soba machine at work.

St. Andrew's Cathedral, corner of S. Beretania and Queen Emma streets; 524-2822. Designed by English architects, this classic Gothic revival building was started by Queen Emma in 1867 with stone shipped around Cape Horn from England. Matching sandstone from Oahu's Waianae coast was used for later enlargements.

December 20 at 8: annual concert by the Iolani School chorus and orchestra features 2 hours of varied Christmas music--all sung from memory.

December 24 at 10: candlelight service begins at 11, but the church fills before 10, when the choir begins singing carols.

Elsewhere on Oahu

Hawaii L.D.S. (Mormon) Temple, 55-600 Naniloa Loop, Laie (near Polynesian Cultural Center); 293-5055. Built in 1919 of volcanic rock and concrete, this was the first Mormon temple established outside continental North America. Only Mormons can go in, but visitors can wander among pool and garden terraces outside.

December 1 through December 22: from 7 to 8 each Sunday, different choirs will perform in the visitor center. Programs will include carols in English and songs in Hawaiian and Samoan. Every evening during this period, some 13,000 lights will decorate the gardens--a display worth driving to see.

Waialua United Church of Christ, 67-375 Puuiki Street, Waialua; 637-5934 or 247-3161. One of the last remaining plantation churches, this New England--style frame building with a tall steeple was built in 1941 at Wheeler Air Force Base and moved here in 1968.

December 22 at 7: colorful paroles, made by Filipino church members, cast soft light on the Christmas play performed by Sunday school children. Costumed youngsters bring the Christ child bitter melon, coconut, and bananas instead of traditional gifts. Some carols are in Tagalog or Hawaiian, and the last carol is sung outdoors under a huge umbrella tree.