Christmas in Hawaii — Honolulu City Lights, Beach Christmas, Mele Kalikimaka

Christmas in Hawaiʻi looks weird if you're from the mainland. Santa shows up on an outrigger canoe. Christmas trees come from California but the decorations involve lei. Carolers sing "Mele Kalikimaka" with ʻukuleles. Snow stays optional. Here's how to do Christmas in Hawaii right. ## Honolulu City Lights **Honolulu Hale (downtown) · December 6 tree lighting · open through Dec 26** The 50-foot Norfolk pine in front of City Hall gets lit the first weekend of December and stays lit through Christmas. **It's free.** The grounds around City Hall fill with massive lit displays, lit-up monkeypod trees, food trucks, and a small free concert series every Friday + Saturday night through the month. **Best time to go:** Tuesday or Wednesday after 7pm. Weekends are a zoo. **Bring:** light sweater (Honolulu drops to 65°F in December evenings), camera. ## Christmas Eve services ### Kawaiahaʻo Church (downtown Oʻahu) Hawaiian-language Christmas Eve service. Built in 1842 from coral blocks; the oldest Christian church on Oʻahu. The service is partially in Hawaiian, partially in English, with traditional Hawaiian carols. Doors open at 6pm; arrive early. ### Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace Catholic midnight mass downtown. The cathedral itself is gorgeous; the choir is excellent. ## Beach Christmas Christmas Day on a Waikiki beach is genuinely a thing locals do. The day is calm, the surf small, and you'll see families with Christmas leis and small fake-tree decorations they bring out. Brunch at Duke's or Tropics is the move. **Want to be in the photo, not on it?** Hanauma Bay opens Christmas Day (reserve in advance). Snorkeling on Christmas morning is a small, perfect thing. ## On the neighbor islands - **Maui:** Lahaina's tree lighting at the Banyan Tree (returning post-fire), Front Street holiday market, Kāʻanapali Beachwalk concerts - **Big Island:** Waimea Christmas Twilight in Parker Square, Kona's Tropic Lights at Kailua Pier - **Kauaʻi:** Lihue's Festival of Lights through December, Hanalei Pier holiday gathering ## Don't-miss small traditions - **Christmas parade at Waikiki Beach Walk** — Sundays in December - **Lūau by the Sea Christmas Edition** — every resort runs one; pick by view, not by price - **Hawaiian ʻukulele Christmas concerts** — Royal Hawaiian Center hosts free ones most Saturday evenings in December ## Practical advice - **Restaurants are packed Christmas Eve.** Make reservations by mid-November. - **Costco runs out of stuff fast** in December. Stock up by 12/15. - **The post office is impossible** the week before Christmas. Ship by Dec 12. - **Hotels jack rates 200%+** Christmas week. If you're visiting, book in spring or grit your teeth. --- **[See every Christmas event in Hawaii →](/christmas)** [Subscribe to our weekly digest](/join) — one email Friday morning, the best events of the week.