With all the distracting sun, sand and surf, it can be very hard to get into the holiday spirit on Maui. You might miss the hordes of holiday shoppers, the slush in your boots, scraping your windshield, the lines at the post office, frozen nose hairs, the er,….what was my point? Here are some ideas to bring a little holiday cheer to our Pacific paradise.
Beach Out and Touch Someone
The holidays are about spending time with the ones you love. Which is probably why you are on the most remote island group in the world. Unless you’re Oprah or Larry Ellison, you’ve probably left most of your loved ones behind and are missing them terribly. What’s a holiday without your mother-in-law “supervising” the dinner preparations, Uncle Albert recounting his third hip replacement surgery or Cousin Willow’s famous tofurkey with quinoa and tempeh stuffing? Don’t let thousands of miles come between you and yours. Keep them updated with lots photos so they know you’re missing them terribly. Tons of photos. On the beach. With Santa hats.
Toast Sunset
Celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and every eve in between with a glass of bubbly on the beach as the sun goes down on another amazing day. Pomegranate seeds or fresh cranberries add a festive touch. Christmas comes but once a year, and sunset comes but once a day. Okole maluna!
Build a Sandman
With over 30 beaches on Maui, there’s plenty of the powdery golden stuff to build a sandman or get down and gritty making a sand angel. Or better yet, scrape out your freezer and build “Defrosty the Snowman” or have a snowball fight.
Channel Your Inner Martha
Maybe you can’t decorate your hotel room or put an inflatable Santa sleigh on your condo lanai, but you can still get into the Christmas spirit by decorating your rental car with festive lights, garlands, wreathes, or Rudolph antlers. Let your creative juices flow, just remember to remove all the evidence before you turn it back in.
The Christmas Feast
You're on Maui. Don’t spend Christmas Day in the kitchen, hit the beach because that’s where all the locals are if they’re not working. All the hotels have holiday menus and the Molokini Bar & Grille at the Makena Resort offers the most expansive Christmas buffet on the island. For a more intimate family affair, you can pick up a pre-prepared roast turkey, spiral cut ham, or prime rib dinner with all the fixings at grocery stores like Foodland, Safeway and Whole Foods and enjoy your feast oceanside.
Resort Tour
Do you miss your neighbor’s attempts to set the Guinness World Record for the most Christmas lights and the ensuing power outages, media circus and traffic jams? Take a tour of the resorts to enjoy them in all their (tasteful) holiday splendor. Our favorites include the massive tree in the lobby of the Fairmont Kea Lani and the magical fairy lights lining the entrance to the Grand Wailea Resort.
New Years Eve
Party like a rock star with a rock star at celebrity-owned venues such as Fleetwood’s on Front Street or Mala Wailea. Rub shoulders and ring in the New Year with likes of Mick Fleetwood, Alice Cooper, Steven Tyler, and Michael McDonald. If you can’t afford the five-star price tag, you can always catch the free fireworks in front of the Grand Wailea Resort. County parking lots are locked at night so prepare to hoof it in and out. Some of the tour boat companies offer NYE cocktail cruises so you can view the pyrotechnics from the water. Where else can you sail into the New Year? Just another reason to love Maui!
Hawaiian Phrases for the Holidays
Mele kalikimaka – Merry Christmas
Hau’oli Hanukaha – Happy Hanukkah
Hau’oli Mahahiki Hou – Happy New Year
He makana nau – A gift for you
Kaumahana – Mistletoe
Aloha kekahi i kekahi – Love one another
Okole Maluna – Bottoms up!
Hau’oli Lanui (Happy Holidays) from Maui Roadsters!