The Twelve Days of Christmas, Hawaiian Style
"Just live a little, Hawaiian style!" Quote by Hawaiian Style Band.
On the first day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- (and...) a-*Ne-ne-Goose-un-der-a-gua-va-tree.
(guava fruits are the best part of their diet--trust me)
On the second day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- two *Gardenias
(*Hawaiian gar-DE-nias or Nanu, Na'u, or Forest Gardenias are overwhelmingly fragrant white flowering plants, reminds me of the white version of a Black Narcissus)
On the third day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- three *Monk Seals
(rarest and most endangered marine mammals in the world)
On the fourth day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- four Mynah birds
(migratory birds that become tree toppers as a good measure of life expectancy from most ground predators)
On the fifth day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- five Orchid leis
(the most beautiful diverse flowering blooms in the world)
On the sixth day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- six *Laysan Finches
(large passerine species of the Hawaiian Honeycreepers)
On the seventh day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- seven *Squirrelfish swimming
(underwater cave day-dwellers, activists at night)
On the eighth day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- eight poi main courses
(two varieties--taro plants and ulu [breadfruit] trees; Hawaiian version of rice from the Orient to Idaho's potatoes)
On the ninth day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- nine red *Lehua
(flower [lei-WHO-wah]; my legendary version can be found in My Short Stories, 'A HAWAIIAN FOLKLORE...', series)
On the tenth day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- ten Spiny Lobsters
(*Hawaiian Banded Spiny Lobster or Ula [U-lah] translated means 'red')
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- eleven *Parrotfishes
(ecosystem gems--coral cleaners whose poop creates sandy atolls--certainly makes you feel more relax lying down on our beaches)
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my tutu gave to me,
-- twelve Blackfoot sea snails
(*Hawaiian Blackfoot or Opihi [oh-PEA-he] are a Hawaiian delicacy, and 'tho screamish, --they taste better when they're moving)
-- twelve Blackfoot sea snails (*Hawaiian Blackfoot limpets)
-- eleven *Parrotfishes
-- ten Spiny Lobsters (*Hawaiian Banded Spiny Lobster)
-- nine red *Lehuas
-- eight poi main courses
-- seven *Squirrelfish swimming
-- six *Laysan Finches
-- five Orchid leis
-- four Mynah birds
-- three *Monk Seals
-- two Gardenias (*Hawaiian gar-DE-nias or Nanu)
-- and a *Nene Goose under a guava tree!
*endemic to Hawaii showing their proper names.
Copyright ©
Hilo Poet
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