Christmas in Kona is a Celebration of the Aloha

Elizabeth Weintraub shoots a selfie on her lanai in Kona on Christmas Day.

Christmas in Kona seems to be a ritual in my life that I didn’t really set out to do. But when I look back at the places where I’ve spent Christmas over the past 10 years, more than half of those places have been in Hawaii. Mostly on the Big Island. So we bought a house in Hawaii. As a result, spending Christmas in Kona has been different than staying at a resort. At our house, I have the opportunity to connect with neighbors and make new friends.

My husband could not come for the holidays this year, but Christmas in Kona is not a big deal to him because he is Jewish. He can eat Chinese food any day. LOL. Pizza is just fine with him.

Even without him here, I’ve got a sense of community. Not to mention the Aloha. It’s a way of life. Peaceful and respectful. Warm and content. A couple of my clients sent me Christmas greetings yesterday by text, which was welcome as well.

While spending Christmas in Kona last year, my husband and I were invited to our neighbors’ house for Christmas dinner. Without him here this year, I went to my neighbors’ alone. As you may know, I am from Minnesota, and so are my neighbors and their family. Buzz, Jean, Joe and Jennifer. You know what that means? Green bean casserole with fried onion rings. Yum! And of course, I brought my liliko’i opera cake. We had so much food. Roasted turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, salad, a nut roll (that name escapes me) and a variety of sweets.

Clockwise, from front Elizabeth, Buzz, Jean, Jennifer and Joe.

I can’t put my finger on exactly why this Christmas dinner was so much fun, but the company was entertaining and amusing. I love these people! Plus, just as we were discussing ways to remove geckos from your house, Buzz mentioned they have not had any geckos for a long time. He spoke too soon. Just as he said that, we all turned around to catch a baby gecko crawling up the wall. Oh, well, more liliko’i?

Looks like this Sacramento Realtor has 5 more days of work, two more escrows to close, and then it’s off to Honolulu for a New Year’s Eve party. Where did this year go?

My Christmas in Kona sunset on Christmas Day.