Every year brings with it highlights and challenges and 2022 has been no different and we want to say something a little different this Christmas!.
This Christmas a certain song has been more evident, at least to us. Various versions of ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ (Hawaiian only has thirteen letters so pronouncing ‘merry christmas’ becomes ‘mele kalikimaka’) have been playing and as we have a soft spot for Hawaii it seemed like the perfect trigger to spread a little ‘Aloha’.
Aloha is much more than a greeting. Like so much in Hawaiian language the meaning is much greater than the five letters suggest. Aloha is a way of life, its deeper meaning is said to be ‘the joyful sharing of life energy in the present’
Aloha is caring for others as much as your own self and that is something we all associate with Christmas.
Another Hawaiian concept we love at Graham John is that of ‘Ohana’, family and for Hawaiians ‘Embracing ʻohana means developing a sense of familial care and devotion to all members of the human family.’
Because of the postal strikes we haven’t sent out our usual Christmas cards and this message is to convey our thoughts and best wishes to you.
Through the years we support Porchlight, a charity based in Canterbury working throughout Kent and into Sussex and South London to help those who are homeless and working with mental health issues. This kalikimaka we are giving the money we would have spent sending cards to Porchlight.
After a challenging year we want to thank everyone who has been there with us, we want to say ‘aloha’ to you, our ‘ohana’ and wish you all a very ‘mele kalikimaka’.
Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters ‘Mele Kalikimaka’
We particularly like this version by Ingrid Michaelson: Ingrid Michaelson ‘Mele Kalikimaka’
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